Chris Rea

Christopher Anton Rea (/ˈriːə/ REE-ə; 4 March 1951 – 22 December 2025) was a British rock and blues singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was best known in the United States for the 1978 hit song "Fool (If You Think It's Over)" that reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. This success earned him a Grammy nomination as Best New Artist in 1979.^[1]

Chris Rea
Chris Rea performing in the Warsaw Congress Hall, February 2012
Background information
Birth name	Christopher Anton Rea
Born	(1951-03-04)4 March 1951 Middlesbrough, England
Died	22 December 2025(2025-12-22) (aged 74)
Genres	Pop rock soft rock electric blues blues rock
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter musician record producer
Instruments	Vocals guitar keyboards
Years active	1973–2025
Labels	Magnet East West Edel Warner Rhino Jazzee Blue
Website	www.chrisrea.com

The book Guinness Rockopedia described him as a "gravel-voiced guitar stalwart".^[2] The British Hit Singles & Albums stated that Rea was "one of the most popular UK singer-songwriters of the late 1980s. He was already a major European star by the time he finally cracked the UK Top 10 with his 18th chart entry; "The Road to Hell (Part 2)".^[3]

In 2000, Rea was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.^[4][5] Since his cancer diagnosis, he underwent multiple surgeries and was diagnosed with diabetes.^[6] In 2016, he suffered a stroke, which left him slurred speech and impaired movements.^[7]

Rea died after a short illness in hospital on 22 December 2025, aged 74.^[8]

Discography

Main article: Chris Rea discography

Studio albums

• Whatever Happened to Benny Santini? (Magnet, 1978)
• Deltics (Magnet, 1979)
• Tennis (Magnet, 1980)
• Chris Rea (Magnet, 1981)
• Water Sign (Magnet, 1983)
• Wired to the Moon (Magnet, 1984)
• Shamrock Diaries (Magnet, 1985)
• On the Beach (Magnet, 1986)
• Dancing with Strangers (Magnet, 1987)
• The Road to Hell (WEA, 1989)
• Auberge (EastWest, 1991)
• God's Great Banana Skin (EastWest, 1992)
• Espresso Logic (EastWest, 1993)
• La Passione (soundtrack, EastWest, 1996)
• The Blue Cafe (EastWest, 1998)
• The Road to Hell: Part 2 (EastWest, 1999)
• King of the Beach (EastWest, 2000)
• Dancing Down the Stony Road/Stony Road (Jazzee Blue, 2002)
• Blue Street (Five Guitars) (Jazzee Blue, 2003)^[source?]
• Hofner Blue Notes (Jazzee Blue, 2003)
• The Blue Jukebox (Jazzee Blue, 2004)
• Blue Guitars (Jazzee Blue, 2005)
• The Return of the Fabulous Hofner Bluenotes (Jazzee Blue, 2008)
• Santo Spirito Blues (Jazzee Blue, 2011)
• Road Songs for Lovers (Jazzee Blue, 2017)
• One Fine Day (Rhino, limited release, 2019)

Compilation albums

• New Light Through Old Windows (1988)
• The Best of Chris Rea (1994)
• The Best of Chris Rea (1998)
• The Very Best of Chris Rea (2001)
• Heartbeats – Chris Rea's Greatest Hits (2005)
• Chris Rea: The Ultimate Collection 1978–2000 (2007)
• Still So Far to Go: The Best of Chris Rea (2009)
• The Journey 1978–2009 (2011)
• ERA 1 (As Bs & Rarities 1978–1984) (2020)
• The Christmas Album (2025)