Driving Home For Christmas singer Chris Rea hailed as ‘legend’ by Bob Mortimer

Comedian Bob Mortimer has paid tribute to singer Chris Rea following his death at the age of 74, describing his friend as a Middlesbrough-born “legend”.

The musician, whose hits include the festive song Driving Home For Christmas, had dealt with ill health for years and suffered a stroke in 2016.

He died in hospital on Monday, three days before Christmas, following a short illness, a spokesperson for his family said.

Mortimer, 66, who is also from Middlesbrough, had known Rea for years and recorded the song Let’s Dance with him for Middlesbrough Football Club’s FA Cup final in 1997.

During one of Mortimer’s appearances on BBC panel show Would I Lie To You? Mortimer claimed Rea put an egg into a bath for him after they finished recording the song at his studio.

In an X post on Monday Mortimer paid tribute to Rea and posted a photo of the singer in the bath holding an egg.

Mortimer said: “So so sad. A lovely brilliant funny giant of a bloke. Oh Man….RIP Chris .. Boro legend forever. Love to family and friends.”

Also paying tribute to the singer was Middlesbrough FC who said in a post to X: “We’re deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Chris Rea. A Teesside icon. Rest in peace, Chris.”

A statement from Rea’s family to the Press Association said: “Singer/songwriter and guitarist Chris Rea passed away earlier today in hospital following a short illness. A statement on behalf of his wife and two children was released to the media this afternoon.

“It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Chris.

“He passed away peacefully in hospital earlier today following a short illness, surrounded by his family.”

Rea was born to an Irish mother and Italian father in Middlesbrough in 1951, and found fame in the late 1970s and 1980s with hits such as Fool (If You Think It’s Over), Let’s Dance and The Road To Hell.

His 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.

Rea 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.

When Road To Hell was released in 1989, he became one of the biggest solo stars in the UK, and cemented himself as a favourite among a predominantly male audience of a certain age.

Two of his studio albums – The Road To Hell (1989) and Auberge (1991) – went to number one in the UK.

His most famous song, Driving Home For Christmas, first released in 1986, features in this year’s M&S Food Christmas advert which sees comedian Dawn French sing along to the single in her car.

The track also features in a Christmas-themed album Rea released earlier this year which contains songs including Footsteps In The Snow and Joys Of Christmas.

Speaking about the song during the 2020 Mortimer And Whitehouse: Gone Fishing Christmas special, he told Mortimer: “I was on the dole when I wrote that.

“My manager had just left me. I’d just been banned from driving, right. My now wife, Joan, she had to drive down to London, picked me up in the Mini, and take me home, and that’s when I wrote it.”

TV personality Lizzie Cundy thanked Rea in an Instagram post where she said she had been in a music video for Driving Home For Christmas.

She said: “Heartbroken of the passing of Chris Rea. We had such fun making this video #drivinghomeforchristmas … Rest in peace dear Chris and thank you.”

Labour MP for Middlesbrough and Thornaby East, Andy McDonald, also paid tribute and said in a social media post: “So very saddened to hear this news.

“Chris, a most cherished son of Middlesbrough, will live on through his wonderful music.

“My sincere condolences to his family.”

Rea shared two daughters, Josephine and Julia, with his wife Joan, whom he had been with since they met aged 16.

He credited his family with helping him to cope after his ill health.

“It’s music and family with me. I’m only one of four, that’s how I am. I’m 25% of a unit. It’s always been that way and we like it that way. In between that there’s music,” Rea once said.