Chris Rea, the English musician famous for performing the Christmas hit “Driving Home for Christmas,” has died at the age of 74, according to an announcement by his family on Monday this week, who stated he died in a hospital after a short illness. Chris Rea had a musical career that exceeded five decades, during which he recorded 25 studio albums and sold tens of million records. He was an important figure in the British rock and blues scene with musical pieces that had followers in Europe and around the world. Chris Rea's wife & his family Chris Rea was married to Joan Lesley Rea, whom he met in his teenage years in his hometown of Middlesbrough in England. They were together for a number of years while he pursued his career in music. Joan was always there in Rea’s life, and he has been with her through all his successes and struggles. They have two daughters, Josephine and Julia, who appeared in Rea’s songs in their titles. Chris Rea’s relatives have confirmed his death in a statement issued through his wife and children. His wife and children revealed that he died peacefully in the hospital after a short illness. His personal and professional relationships are linked within the songs that Rea has created. The song “Josephine,” for example, is actually titled after one of his daughters. His wife was also involved in a story that attended his most popular seasonally related song. Drive Home For Christmas was composed after a winter driving trip that Mr. Rea undertook with his wife in the late 1970s, when they were returning to Middlesbrough and became bogged down in traffic, which later emerged as a theme in his song lyrics. Chris Rea’s passing quickly hit the headlines round the globe due to the fame he earned as the writer of the most popular Christmas song of all time. The song "Driving Home for Christmas" has been a classic in the UK and elsewhere, regaining popularity in the charts as part of several major advertising campaigns in recent years. Rea has enjoyed mainstream success with earlier releases as well, like the US single “Fool (If You Think It’s Over)” as well as critically acclaimed albums such as “The Road to Hell” and “Auberge” both of which topped the UK charts. This unique combination of the blues, rock, and pop genres allowed him to retain a loyal fan base all around the world. Health issues typified his later life. Rea has overcome pancreatic cancer, major surgery, and a stroke in order to continue to record and perform. These have been mentioned in reports of his death.His family spoke about the effect that he has had on the audience and the loss that they are suffering. Rea’s music and relationship with his wife and daughters still formed the focal point of his legacy. His death at 74 marked the end of one chapter for his career that spanned many generations.