Veteran British singer, songwriter, and guitarist Chris Rea, best known in the U.S. for his 1978 hit “Fool (If You Think It’s Over),” died on December 22 at the age of 74.
Rea’s death was announced in a post on his social media pages. The message reads, “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Chris, who died peacefully earlier today following a short illness. Chris’s music has created the soundtrack to many lives, and his legacy will live on through the songs he leaves behind.”
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Early in his career, Rea played in the bands Magdelene and The Beautiful Losers. While still a member of the latter group, he released his debut solo single, “So Much Love,” in 1974.
Rea’s first solo album, Whatever Happened to Benny Santini?, was released in 1978. It was produced by longtime Elton John producer Gus Dudgeon. The lead single was “Fool (If You Think It’s Over),” which peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped Billboard’s Adult Contemporary Singles chart.
The song’s success led to Rea being nominated for a Best New Artist Grammy in 1979.
“Fool (If You Think It’s Over)” wound up being Rea’s only U.S. hit, but had enjoyed much more success in the U.K. Between the late 1970s and the mid-1990s, Chris scored more than a dozen Top-40 hits in the U.K. His highest-charting singles were “Driving Home for Christmas” and “The Road to Hell,” which both peaked at No. 10. Meanwhile, two of Rea’s albums, The Road to Hell (1989) and Auberge (1991), topped the U.K. chart.
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Rea recorded a duet with Elton John for the pop superstar’s 1993 album Duets. The track was an original song written by Rea, “If You We Me.”
Also in 1993, Chris contributed title track to and composed the score for the 1993 drama film Soft Top Hard Shoulder. In addition, he wrote and produced the 1996 film La Passione, partly inspired by his childhood love of motor racing.
Rea starred in the 1999 comedy film Parting Shots, which also featured John Cleese, Bob Hoskins, and Joanna Lumley.
According to U.K. newspaper The Guardian, Chris overcame a number of major health issues during his life. During the 1980s, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He eventually underwent an invasive Whipple procedure to treat the disease. In 2016, Rea suffered a debilitating stroke.
Chris’ last studio album, One Fine Day, was released in 2019.
Rea is survived by his wife, Joan, and their daughters, Josephine and Julia. Chris and Joan had been together since meeting as teenagers in 1968.
(Photo by David Wolff – Patrick/Redferns)
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