Chris Rea, the singer famous for "Driving Home For Christmas," has become the third sibling in his family to die within a three-month period. His elder sister, Camille Whitaker, expressed the family's "awful pain" and shock over the recent losses.
The tragic sequence began in October with the death of their youngest brother, Nicholas, from brain cancer. Shortly after Nicholas's funeral, Camille's twin sister, Geraldine Milward, passed away unexpectedly.
Chris then died this week, a short time after the birth of his first grandchild. Rea had a history of health struggles, including battling pancreatic cancer, which led to the removal of his pancreas in 2001, and suffering a stroke in 2016. Despite his health issues, he remained close to his family, living with his wife and two daughters in Buckinghamshire, and was reportedly very happy about becoming a grandfather.
The family, originally from Middlesbrough, had a modest upbringing, with their father being an Italian immigrant who worked in a local ice cream factory. Chris initially considered journalism but found his calling in music, launching his professional career in the late 1970s.
His hit song "Driving Home for Christmas," conceived in 1978, gained enduring popularity, re-entering the UK charts annually since 2007, largely thanks to streaming platforms. Another notable song, "The Road to Hell," was inspired by his frustration with motorway congestion.