Chris Rea, Teesside’s beloved bluesman, dies at 74
Chris Rea, the singer-songwriter and guitarist who never forgot his Teesside roots, has died at the age of 74.
Born in Middlesbrough in 1951 to an Italian father and Irish mother, Rea rose from a family known for selling ice cream around the town to become one of the North East’s most celebrated musicians.
Rea found international fame with hits such as Driving Home for Christmas, inspired by journeys back to the North East from London. Yet he remained deeply connected to his hometown, writing heartfelt songs like Steel River, which chronicled the life and spirit of Middlesbrough.
Tributes have poured in from fans, colleagues, and local legends who knew him. Gary Philipson of BBC Radio Tees, who interviewed Rea multiple times, said, “He never forgot where it all started for him. When everybody was knocking Middlesbrough, he was writing songs to champion the town. His family was massive in Middlesbrough, and he never lost touch with his early years performing gigs locally.”
Rea was one of seven children in a family that ran Camillo’s ice cream factory and cafés, and he remained a devoted supporter of Middlesbrough FC, regularly attending matches at Ayresome Park. Philipson described him as “playful, impish, with an amazing mind when it came to music,” noting his lifelong love of the blues.
Sound engineer Stuart Epps, who worked with Rea for decades, remembered him as “an amazing guy, an amazing musician… embarrassed by the success of Driving Home for Christmas, yet utterly dedicated to his craft.”
Rea first gained recognition in the 1970s when he was booked as a support act for the North East band Lindisfarne. Ray Laidlaw, founding member of Lindisfarne, recalled, “Chris had that intangible something. He was a natural writer and performer. Nothing he did was contrived. He was world class on slide guitar, a great songwriter, and a good lad with a lovely deep laugh. If you chopped his arm off, it would be like a stick of rock with ‘Boro’ inside.”
In 2020, Rea appeared in the North East-based Christmas episode of Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing, cementing his enduring connection to the region. Comedian Bob Mortimer, who adapted Rea’s song Let’s Dance for a Middlesbrough FA Cup run, said, “His death is so, so sad. He was a lovely, brilliant, funny giant of a bloke. He will be a Boro legend forever.”
Rea’s music captured the soul of Middlesbrough and the North East, blending blues sensibilities with stories of ordinary life. Even as he achieved international fame, he remained the boy from Teesside, forever connected to the streets, the river, and the people who shaped him.
Middlesbrough FC described Rea as a “Teesside icon,” a sentiment echoed by fans and fellow musicians alike. His passing marks the end of an era, but his songs and his spirit will continue to resonate across the world.
Chris Rea is survived by his family and countless fans whose lives he touched through music, memory, and the heart of Teesside.
Source: BBC