Chris Rea died in the hospital surrounded by his loved ones — his family announced the death of the artist. In an official statement, his wife and two children noted that he passed away peacefully after a short illness.
Ri was previously diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and had his organ removed in 2001. Subsequently, the musician suffered a stroke in 2016, and in 2017 he lost consciousness right on stage in Oxford, which forced him to cancel a number of concerts.
Chris Rea was born in 1951 in Middlesbrough into an Italian and Irish family and took up the guitar only at the age of 21. Despite his late start, he became famous in the 1970s and 1980s thanks to such hits as Fool (If You Think It’s Over), The Road To Hell and Driving Home for Christmas ‑ the latter song has been strongly associated with New Year’s holidays since 1986. The artist’s memory is a bright memory.
