Chris Rea has died at the age of 74, a spokesperson for his family has confirmed.
The singer - known for hits including Driving Home For Christmas, Fool (If You Think It's Over), Let's Dance and The Road To Hell - died earlier today.
“It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Chris,” a statement from a spokesperson, on behalf of his wife and two children, read.
"He passed away peacefully in hospital earlier today following a short illness, surrounded by his family.”
Driving Home For Christmas, one of his most famous hits, was first released in 1986, peaking at number 10 on the UK Singles Chart in 2022. The song also hit number 30 in last week's Christmas chart.
Rea's debut album titled Whatever Happened To Benny Santini?, a reference to the stage name his record label wanted him to adopt, was released in 1978.
The track Fool (If You Think It's Over) went on to be nominated for a Grammy.
He did not find such success again for a few years but by the time his eighth album On The Beach, spawning a hit single of the same name, was released, he was a star in the UK and around Europe, with sporadic hits in the US.
Two of his studio albums - The Road To Hell (1989) and Auberge (1991) - went to number one in the UK.
In 2001 the Middlesbrough-born musician was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had his pancreas removed, and in 2016 he suffered a stroke.
The singer’s last TV appearance was on Mortimer and Whitehouse Gone Fishing in 2020, where he spoke about his health issues.
!["[T]he First and Fifth Amendments Require ICE to Provide Information About the Whereabouts of a Detained Person"](https://images.inkl.com/s3/publisher/cover/212/reason-cover.png?w=600)
