CHRIS Rea’s wife played a major part in his hit festive tune Driving Home For Christmas.
The rock legend, who has died aged 74, was being driven back up north by childhood sweetheart Joan after a recording session in December 1978 when inspiration hit.
The couple were heading up the M1 in their beaten-up old Mini when it started snowing and they got stuck outside Nottingham waiting for a snowplough to clear the road.
Rea said as they continued to get held up, he looked at the other drivers, who seemed miserable, and jokingly sang: “We’re driving home for Christmas…”
Then when the street lights shone into the car he started writing down lyrics, he told The Guardian in 2016.
What would become a Christmas staple over the years, had been born out of despair.
It comes as:
- Driving Home for Christmas singer Chris Rea has died aged 74
- He passed away in hospital, just three days before Christmas
- His wife and children shared their ‘immense sadness’ in a statement
- Rea’s tragic final TV appearance has resurfaced
- The star battled ill health for several years
- Rea’s wife of 57 years Joan played a key role in writing his Christmas smash hit
Joan had agreed to make the long trek to London because Rea was being dropped by his manager and his recording contract was up, with the company wouldn’t pay for a train ticket for his home trip.
Rea was on the dole at the time and had been banned from driving.
He admitted he felt “it was all up for me” at the time, after an unsatisfactory mix done for his debut album, Whatever Happened to Benny Santini? released earlier that year.
Rea and Joan – who had just £220 left – drove for six hours to get back to Middlesbrough, arriving at their front door at 3am.
On the doormat was a letter from a US performing rights organisation.
His song Fool (If You Think It’s Over) had charted across the pond and he’d been sent a cheque for £15,000.
Rea left his scribbled down Christmas lyrics in a tin – he wasn’t interested in releasing a novelty festive song.
But a few years later, he was playing around with his new Roland keyboard and within a few minutes had come up with a melody for Driving Home for Christmas.
It was put as a B-side on his 1986 single Hello Friend but DJs fell in love with the lesser track and Rea and his band re-recorded the song.
Despite his gruff northern image, Rea admitted he was a romantic at heart.
He was a devoted family man who lived near Windsor with love of his life Joan, and the pair shared two grown-up daughters, Josie and Julia.
Rea told the Daily Mail in 2017: “People always say, ‘Forty-eight years together, in the music business, how did this happen?’
“I’m lucky. All my education is from her – I came out of Middlesbrough hardly being able to read.
“The nice thing is that when it’s just me and her, it’s still boyfriend and girlfriend… My girls tell me I’m a romantic. I’m a soft touch.”
‘Immense sadness’
Rea died in hospital, just three days before Christmas, following a short illness, a spokesperson for his family said.
In a statement on behalf of his wife and two children, they said: “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 has recorded 25 studio albums, two of which topped the UK Albums Chart, The Road to Hell in 1989 and its successor, Auberge, in 1991.
He had already become a major European star by the time he finally cracked the UK Top 10 with the single The Road to Hell (Part 2).
Rea was born on March 4, 1951, in Middlesbrough in the North Riding of Yorkshire to an Italian father, Camillo Rea, and an Irish mother, Winifred K. Slee.
In 1973 he joined the local Middlesbrough band, Magdalene and began writing songs.
He went on to enjoy a long and successful career in the British music industry.
His most famous song Driving Home for Christmas has made a reappearance on the UK Singles Chart every year since 2007.
It’s now a chart regular at this time of year, reaching its highest position in 2021 when it made it to number 10.
Rea had suffered several health battles throughout his life – he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the age of just 33.
He faced nine serious operations after the diagnosis, spending a total of 32 weeks in hospital.
