Chris Rea has died aged 74

[mumofoneAloneandwell]

May he rest in peace - he's given us all so much joy ❤️

That is so sad to hear. I loved his song 'On the beach'. Reminds me of many memories of my first holiday abroad as a kid.

Oh no, I’m very sad to hear that Chris has died. He went to my school (a few years before me) and even wrote a song about us.
Thank you, Chris, for the wonderful music and memories. Sleep peacefully.
A Stainsby Girl.

Oh, that's so sad. Extra poignant given the time of year.

He'd had many, many serious health problems and frankly had been a warrior to carry on performing to the age he did. Has left us with great songs, though, including the obvious Driving Home for Christmas, and the fabulous Stainsby Girls, inspired by his wife Joan. RIP and a peaceful onward journey Chris.

Oh my word! Your father in law must be duly punished! From a fellow Smoggie!

Sad news, rest in peace Chris x

I'll crack an egg into my bath as a sign of respect later

“He had a very strong Geordie accent, and he knew Bob Mortimer!”

He did not have a Geordie accent. And that’s for the same reason as why he knew Bob. 😂

His head nearly fell off when I told him Stainsby (Stainsby Girls) is a real place.

I’ve just been looking at the pub menu for tea later - chicken parmo it is!

We get quite offended at that G word, don’t we! We’re our own fab, unique Teesside and proud of it.
And proud of Chris.

Very sad news

So sad. His gravelly vocals were part of my 80s years and Christmases. ☹️

You don’t know ‘on the beach’ ?

Same. I just read on the bbc website he spent a lot of time on the road, hence driving-themed songs.
RIP Chris.

Apparently he was commuting back to Middlesbrough by car for the winter break. Very sad.

He looked quite unwell on that episode, I hardly recognised him.

RIP.

Really sad news. I love Christmas music, and have Christmas radio on in the car. His is one of the songs I've loved since childhood, and I love hearing it every year. It's been on the radio a lot lately (obvious radio song for drivers), I must have heard it at least 50 times in this past few weeks and I never want to turn it off.
I hate to admit it but I've wondered lately when his time would come. It's extra poignant this close to Christmas, as a PP alluded to (I still miss George).

I've found myself really loving a lot of Chris Rea's music in recent years. When I was a kid, it was 'dad music'. I love so many of those 'dad rock' artists now, though. Hopefully he has a lot of younger fans now, as so many of those 70s/80s/90s artists now do. My daughter keeps asking me 'mum, have you heard of.....?' Yes dear, I saw them live when I was your age.

RIP Chris.
Thank you for immortalising us Stainsby Girls

His wife lived next to my parents in the 60s (before my time).
I shall have a Stainsby Girl gin for him.

Apparently he’d been dropped by his record company in London and they wouldn’t even give him the train fare home, so his wife drove down to pick him up. The traffic was awful and they spent ages in traffic jams all the way. It was a really low point in his career. And while they were sitting in traffic he basically wrote the song!

RIP

Seeing as he also did On the Beach and George Michael did Club Tropicana (fun and sunshine, there's enough for everyone), would you think anything notable about it had they both died in summer?

Ah such sad news. Driving Home For Christmas is such a fabulous Christmas song.

He was once on a show I worked on. People used to sneak out the back of the studio to a flat roof above the main studios to have a very illegal cigarette. Word went round that Chris was out there having a sneaky fag before his hit. Cue all the smokers running down to the roof to have a cheeky smoke with Chris. He was an absolute darling.

It’s sad, and a shame, and I do like his music, but he was 74. He had a slightly longer life than the average life expectancy for his age and sex. It’s an entirely respectable age.

He had many more years following his treatment for pancreatic cancer.