Chris Rea gave his wife Joan the rights to all his songs after he was diagnosed with cancer back in 2001. Along with the complete list of songs, he also gave her the rights to his hit song Driving Home for Christmas.During an interview on BBC's Mortimer and Whitehouse Gone Fishing five years ago, Rea humorously said:"I gave her all the money, all the rights to all the songs, and now she won’t give them back."Chris Rea and his wife met when they were teenagers and finally tied the knot in 1968. They shared two daughters.Chris' life was full of ups and downs when it came to his health. He has had many near-death incidents, but he has always gotten back up. Rea passed away at the age of 74, "peacefully in hospital … following a short illness," according to a statement from the family's spokesperson.How did Chris Rea come up with Driving Home for Christmas?During an interview earlier this year, Chris Rea shared how he got the idea to write his hit song, Driving Home for Christmas. He said:"I first wrote it back in the mid Eighties about the simple joy of getting back to the people you love, and that spirit fits perfectly with Christmas and with what Marks & Spencer does so well."His wife, Joan Lesley, also made a contribution to the song while he was writing it. It was back in the month of December 1978 that Rea was being driven by Joan after a recording session, when they got stuck in a traffic jam. While waiting for the road to clear, he sang the words:"We’re driving home for Christmas…"He further elaborated that the street lights shone into the car, and that was where he penned down the lyrics. Chris was also happy to see how timeless his song was, saying:"It's a wonderful thing to see Driving Home for Christmas still connecting with people all these years later."According to The Sun UK, Driving Home for Christmas is one of the highest-earning holiday songs. Every year, Rae gets an annual royalty of £200,000. He has collected almost £7million ever since it was released.Chris Rea showed deep love and trust by giving his wife full rights to his music during his illness. Despite many health struggles, he continued to inspire people through his songs. Rea passed away surrounded by his loved ones after a brief illness at the age of 74.Also read: What is Chris Rea’s net worth? Fortune explored as English singer dies at 74