I watched this recently, [Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse having a nice conversation with him](https://youtu.be/VgeaJyLzaN0) about his health. Seemed like a good guy.
If it was a week earlier he might’ve got Christmas number 1. Shame.
[mama I come to the valley of the rich,, myself to sell; she said “son, this is the road to hell”](https://youtu.be/BP3qGp_5Y_w)
Well hopefully this years royalties get paid in time for a decent send off and a decent parmo spread
That’s not very Christmassy… RIP.
At least the shit MOT joke is gone
What a shame, he seemed like such a nice chap. 74 seems closer and closer rather than elderly.
Why do the singers of Christmas songs always die around Christmas? George Michael, Shane McGowan, and now Chris Rea.
Awful news, and it must be worse for the family that for the next few days they’ll hear his voice over and over on the radio. Or maybe that’s a source of comfort?
It’s a cracking song and one I’ve always listened to on the long drives home from wherever I’m living to my parent’s house.
Oh no. Driving Home For Christmas is one of my favourite Christmas songs. That’s sad.
I was lucky to see him a couple of times, although not in Middlesbrough but Newcastle*. Looks like I’ll be cracking out some albums later on.
RIP
*I’m from Teesside and I took my parents to one gig and the opener said “He’s local to you, isn’t he?” to which most shouted yes. My Dad shouted “No, he’s from Middlesbrough!”
I love how most of these replies are about Eggs in Baths.
What a culture we have!
RIP Chris. He is driving home for Christmas no more.
Very sad, wrote one of the finest Christmas songs there is. RIP!
A lot will be written in the coming days about Driving Home for Christmas, rightly so it’s a lovely song, but I hope that people might go back through his catalogue. Rea was a stunning slide guitarist, he did a terrific boxset of the blues a few years ago, and he has so many wonderful songs.
For my money, Julia is his finest song, beaitiful guitar solo:
Very sad. Very underrated as a musician I feel too.
I’m sure people know him for his hits and especially “Driving Home For Christmas” at this time of year, but he released a series of Blues albums in the mid 2000s which are just phenomenal.
I’d urge anyone who is even vaguely interested in the Blues, or guitar music in general, to check out “Dancing Down the Stony Road” and “The Blue Jukebox”.
Amazing records.
Been ill for a long, long time. Thanks for the musical legacy, Chris, and for having the Rea of the year.
Mariah is going at the of stroke midnight on Christmas itself then
Guys look up his Wikipedia page and see the photo….
Teesside legend. RIP Chris!
I remember very clearly buying the ‘Auberge’ LP based on the hearing the title track. I’ll buy it again today. Thanks Chris.
Aw man, actually gutted. I grew up listening to New Light Through Old Windows and Auberge. Some of his songs are still in my regular rotation, was lucky enough to see him on tour in 2012. What an icon.
Alright Chris? Hello Alan, didn’t know you’d moved in? I’m having a barbeque would you like to come over? I’d love to! Do you mind if I bring my guitar? I’d rather you didn’t it’s not that kind of affair. Do you like mini kievs? I love ’em, but my wife’s vegetarian. It doesn’t matter she can have fish. No she won’t eat that either.
May he be popping eggs into people’s baths in heaven.
RIP Chris!
I have a family connection to one of his minor hits.
Dad was a record store manager and his shop was one of the ones the UK charts were extrapolated from. One week the Gallup terminal was broken, so the next week dad entered two weeks of sales as a single week. But this was the first two weeks after “Stainsby Girls” was released, and since Stainsby was now the local comprehensive there were a disproportionate number of sales in that shop, causing it to reach the top 30.
26 comments
Guess he’s not driving home for Christmas this year.
Big shame, 74 still feels pretty young these days.
[Obligatory Bob Mortimer ‘egg in the bath’ link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0WiwB1Cjbg)
RIP
Who will crack an egg in Bob’s bath now?
Aw damn.
I watched this recently, [Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse having a nice conversation with him](https://youtu.be/VgeaJyLzaN0) about his health. Seemed like a good guy.
If it was a week earlier he might’ve got Christmas number 1. Shame.
[mama I come to the valley of the rich,, myself to sell; she said “son, this is the road to hell”](https://youtu.be/BP3qGp_5Y_w)
Well hopefully this years royalties get paid in time for a decent send off and a decent parmo spread
That’s not very Christmassy… RIP.
At least the shit MOT joke is gone
What a shame, he seemed like such a nice chap. 74 seems closer and closer rather than elderly.
Why do the singers of Christmas songs always die around Christmas? George Michael, Shane McGowan, and now Chris Rea.
Awful news, and it must be worse for the family that for the next few days they’ll hear his voice over and over on the radio. Or maybe that’s a source of comfort?
It’s a cracking song and one I’ve always listened to on the long drives home from wherever I’m living to my parent’s house.
Oh no. Driving Home For Christmas is one of my favourite Christmas songs. That’s sad.
I was lucky to see him a couple of times, although not in Middlesbrough but Newcastle*. Looks like I’ll be cracking out some albums later on.
RIP
*I’m from Teesside and I took my parents to one gig and the opener said “He’s local to you, isn’t he?” to which most shouted yes. My Dad shouted “No, he’s from Middlesbrough!”
I love how most of these replies are about Eggs in Baths.
What a culture we have!
RIP Chris. He is driving home for Christmas no more.
Very sad, wrote one of the finest Christmas songs there is. RIP!
A lot will be written in the coming days about Driving Home for Christmas, rightly so it’s a lovely song, but I hope that people might go back through his catalogue. Rea was a stunning slide guitarist, he did a terrific boxset of the blues a few years ago, and he has so many wonderful songs.
For my money, Julia is his finest song, beaitiful guitar solo:
https://youtu.be/MngGxpWX_-Q?si=Dw9Q2UZFTENNvkGf
Very sad. Very underrated as a musician I feel too.
I’m sure people know him for his hits and especially “Driving Home For Christmas” at this time of year, but he released a series of Blues albums in the mid 2000s which are just phenomenal.
I’d urge anyone who is even vaguely interested in the Blues, or guitar music in general, to check out “Dancing Down the Stony Road” and “The Blue Jukebox”.
Amazing records.
Been ill for a long, long time. Thanks for the musical legacy, Chris, and for having the Rea of the year.
Mariah is going at the of stroke midnight on Christmas itself then
Guys look up his Wikipedia page and see the photo….
Teesside legend. RIP Chris!
I remember very clearly buying the ‘Auberge’ LP based on the hearing the title track. I’ll buy it again today. Thanks Chris.
Aw man, actually gutted. I grew up listening to New Light Through Old Windows and Auberge. Some of his songs are still in my regular rotation, was lucky enough to see him on tour in 2012. What an icon.
Alright Chris? Hello Alan, didn’t know you’d moved in? I’m having a barbeque would you like to come over? I’d love to! Do you mind if I bring my guitar? I’d rather you didn’t it’s not that kind of affair. Do you like mini kievs? I love ’em, but my wife’s vegetarian. It doesn’t matter she can have fish. No she won’t eat that either.
May he be popping eggs into people’s baths in heaven.
RIP Chris!
I have a family connection to one of his minor hits.
Dad was a record store manager and his shop was one of the ones the UK charts were extrapolated from. One week the Gallup terminal was broken, so the next week dad entered two weeks of sales as a single week. But this was the first two weeks after “Stainsby Girls” was released, and since Stainsby was now the local comprehensive there were a disproportionate number of sales in that shop, causing it to reach the top 30.
Comments are closed.