British singer-songwriter and former Grammy nominee Chris Rea of Driving Home for Christmas fame breathed his last on Monday.
As per the BBC, the musician's death was confirmed by a family spokesperson.
"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," the spokesperson was quoted as saying.
Born in Middlesbrough in 1951 to an Italian father and an Irish mother, Rea was aged 74 and is survived by his wife and two children.
In the UK, Rea's 1986 release Driving Home for Christmas became a festive season favourite, and was even used in a Marks and Spencer's television commercial this year.
A musical career marred by illness
Rea made his musical debut in 1974 with a single titled So Much Love, but it wasn't until June 1978 that his first studio album, Whatever Happened to Benny Santini?, was released. That year, Rea also earned a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist.
He went on to release two more albums in 1979 and 1980, but despite a warm reception, neither was a commercial success.
Rea's musical career then rebounded in the early 1980s, with his fifth studio album Water Sign breaking into charts in Europe, and his subsequent album Wired to the Moon (1984), making it to the Top 40 albums in the UK.
His next album, Shamrock Diaries (1985) sold over a million copies, while the subsequent releases of On The Beach (1986), and Dancing with Strangers (1987) earned Rea considerable fame in the UK.
Although the Middlesbrough-born singer-songwriter never toured the US, his releases also found millions of listeners Stateside, with the 1978 single Fool (If You Think It's Over) reaching number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Rea's rise continued through the 80s, with his 1989 album The Road to Hell becoming his first number 1 album in the UK. Two years later, Auberge repeated this success, climbing to the top of the charts in the UK again.
During his musical career, the singer-songwriter sold more than 40 million records worldwide.
That said, Rea's musical career was affected by multiple health issues, including pancreatic cancer. The singer-songwriter underwent surgery for the same in 2000, but had problems with diabetes and a weaker immune system subsequently.
In 2016, Rea also suffered a stroke, which left him with slurred speech and reduced movement in his arms and fingers.
