"The family has been quite shocked by it": Chris Rea's sister speaks after third sibling death in 3 months

Chris Rea's older sister, Camille Whitaker, has spoken publicly about the family's grief following the singer's death. He died peacefully in hospital on December 22 following a short illness.

While speaking to DailyMail, she expressed her sadness and said:

“It is an awful pain. It is gut-wrenching what happened. The family has been quite shocked by it.”

Chris Rea was known for his hits, Driving Home For Christmas and The Road To Hell. The musician was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 1984 and had a part of his pancreas removed in 2001. He reportedly suffered a stroke in 2016.

Rea became the third of his siblings to die within three months, following the passing of his youngest brother Nicholas in October from brain cancer and his sister Geraldine shortly after. Rea had six siblings in total who were born to an Italian father, Camillo, and an English mother, Winifred.

Continue to read for more information.

All we know about the life of Chris Rea

Chris Rea came from a large Roman Catholic family in Middlesbrough, England. His father, Camillo, owned a prominent local ice cream factory and café chain, where young Chris worked from age 12, making ice cream and clearing tables.

He had two brothers, Nick and Mike and four sisters, Catherine, Geraldine, Paula and Camille.

He aimed to be a journalist and attended St Mary's College in Middlesbrough. He later transitioned into music at around 21 by buying his first guitar. He then joined local bands like Magdalene in 1973 after laboring job.

Chris Rea signed a solo deal with Magnet Records, releasing his debut single So Much Love in 1974. He released his first album, Whatever Happened to Benny Santini?, in 1978. It featured the hit track, Fool (If You Think It's Over) that earned a Grammy nomination.

The singer-songwriter married Joan Lesley in 1968 after they met as teenagers in Middlesbrough. The couple shared two daughters, Josephine and Julia Christin, until his recent passing.

Rea suffered a stroke in 2016. According to a report in the Guardian, he described it as:

“very scary moment … I got it into my head that my perception of pitch had gone with the stroke. And it took a lot of convincing from people saying there’s nothing wrong with what you’re playing.”

The following year, he collapsed on stage during a concert in Oxford and was taken to the hospital to recover.

Just days before his death at the age of 74, Chris Rea spoke to The Independent about his famous song, Driving Home For Christmas. He said:

“It has that hope and warmth to it, like all the classic Christmas songs. That and the frustration of being stuck in the motorway traffic – that’s what people relate to.”

Rea wrote the song during a snowy drive from London’s Abbey Road studios to Middlesbrough with his wife Joan, who picked him up in their Austin Mini to save on travel costs. Stuck in heavy traffic, he observed other miserable drivers and jokingly sang the opening line, scribbling lyrics under passing streetlights.

The song was first released as a B-side to his single Hello Friend in 1986, re-recorded for his 1988 compilation album.

Rea is survived by his wife, Joan and his two daughters.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback