Many people may not be aware of the story behind Chris Rea’s best-known, most unexpected hit, Driving Home For Christmas, as the music industry mourns his passing.
Singer Chris Rea, who was 74 years old, passed away peacefully in the days leading up to Christmas, surrounded by family and friends.
The musician had a long and successful career, but he’ll probably always be remembered for the holidays, with the 1988 song Driving Home For Christmas holding a special place in so many people’s hearts.
Although the catchy hit is still a favorite at this time of year, Chris had no idea that it would become such a timeless classic. He wasn’t even permitted to drive when he wrote the outline.
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You’re stuck in traffic when all you want to do is get home and be with your loved ones, Chris once said, “It’s got a story everyone can relate to.” Everyone in the nation is simultaneously carrying out the same task.
It’s a frustrating song that’s also upbeat and comforting. Funny because I was just given a driving ban when I wrote it. However, I was feeling good at the time, and people claim to be able to sense that feeling when they do, he told the Express.
Interesting to note that Middlesborough-born Chris had intended to write the song with Van Morrison, but the singer from Brown Eyed Girl never responded. The forgotten track remained on his shelf for eight years until someone from his record company, Magnet, decided to include it on the B-side of his song, Hello Friend.
It was then that a DJ picked up the festive treat, which they began playing instead of Hello Friend. Chris remarked: “I still don’t know how or why they did that.” The rest as they say is history, and today no Christmas party playlist would be completely without Chris’s husky vocals.
Rea noted that the track has recently experienced a second wind and that, thanks to streaming, it has started to rank in the Top 40. It has been used by Shelter, a homeless organization, and has been featured in Gavin And Stacey. I’ve only really seen how it has become a must-have for everyone since streaming, really.
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Chris, according to a statement released by Chris’s wife Joan and their two daughters Josephine and Julia. He was surrounded by his family and passed away peacefully in a hospital earlier today after a brief illness.
Meanwhile, mere hours before Chris’s death, a social media post was shared via his Instagram page, showing a snow covered motorway as many across the country begin to make their festive journeys home. A poignant highway sign read: “Driving home for Christmas with a thousand memories.”
Do you have a tale to tell? Contact me at julia@gmail.com. banim@reachplc.com Follow Mirror Celebs on Threads, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Snapchat.
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Source: Mirror
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