Chris Rea facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 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 (age 74) Middlesbrough, England
Genres	Pop rock soft rock electric blues blues rock
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter musician record producer
Instruments	Vocals guitar drum piano
Years active	1973–present
Labels	Magnet East West Edel Warner Rhino Jazzee Blue

Christopher Anton Rea (born March 4, 1951) is a British singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is known for his unique voice and his special way of playing the slide guitar. Chris Rea has released many studio albums. Two of his albums, The Road to Hell (1989) and Auberge (1991), reached the top of the music charts in the UK.

He became a big star in Europe before his song "The Road to Hell (Part 2)" became a UK Top 10 hit. Chris Rea has written many popular songs. Some of his well-known hits include "Josephine", "On the Beach", and "Driving Home for Christmas". He also sang a duet with Elton John called "If You Were Me".

Chris Rea was nominated three times for the Brit Award for Best British Male Artist. In the United States, he is most famous for his 1978 song "Fool (If You Think It's Over)". This song reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also stayed at No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart for three weeks. This success led to him being nominated for a Grammy Award as Best New Artist in 1978. He has sold more than 40 million records around the world.

About Chris Rea

His Early Life

Christopher Rea was born on March 4, 1951, in Middlesbrough, England. His father was Italian, and his mother was Irish. Chris was one of seven children in his family. The Rea family was well-known in their town because they owned an ice cream factory and a chain of cafés.

When Chris was twelve, he helped out in the family business. He cleared tables in the coffee bar and made ice cream. He had ideas to make the business better, but his father did not support them. After leaving the family business, he worked other jobs.

Starting His Music Journey

Chris Rea bought his first guitar when he was in his early twenties. It was a 1961 Höfner V3 guitar. He mostly played "bottleneck" guitar, which is also called slide guitar. Chris was inspired by blues musicians like Charlie Patton and Blind Willie Johnson. He also listened to other artists like Ry Cooder and Joe Walsh.

He taught himself how to play the guitar. Chris wanted to be a writer for films and film music when he was young. However, he felt that Middlesbrough was not the right place for that in 1968. He realized he started playing music later than some other famous guitarists.

First Steps in Music (1973–1982)

In 1973, Chris Rea joined a local band called Magdalene. He started writing songs for the band. He also began singing because the band's singer did not show up for a performance. Later, he formed a band called The Beautiful Losers. This band won an award for Best Newcomers in 1973.

Chris then got a solo recording deal with Magnet Records. He released his first single, "So Much Love," in 1974. His band, The Beautiful Losers, broke up in 1977.

His First Album

Rea in 1978

Chris Rea's first studio album, Whatever Happened to Benny Santini?, came out in June 1978. The record label wanted him to use a different stage name, but he stuck with Chris Rea. The album reached No. 49 on the Billboard Hot 200 chart in the US.

The main song from the album, "Fool (If You Think It's Over)", became his biggest hit in the US. It reached No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary Singles chart. It also went to No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. This success earned him a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. Chris Rea was seen as a piano-playing singer-songwriter, like Elton John. However, he was actually a guitar player. He said "Fool" was the only song he recorded without playing guitar.

Later Early Albums

Chris Rea released his second album, Deltics, in 1979. His third album, Tennis (1980), was produced by musicians from Middlesbrough. Both albums did not sell very well. His fourth album, Chris Rea (1981), also did not reach the Top 50 in the UK. Chris felt that the record company tried to change his blues-influenced music. He later said he gave them what they wanted instead of what he wanted.

Becoming a European Star (1983–1988)

Water Sign and Shamrock Diaries

Chris Rea in the 1980s

From 1983, Chris Rea's music started to sound more like he wanted. His fifth album, Water Sign, was released. It sold very well in Ireland and Europe, selling over half a million copies. The song "I Can Hear Your Heartbeat" became a hit in Europe.

His next album, Wired to the Moon (1984), was his first album to reach the Top 40 in the UK. Chris then focused on touring in Europe and building his fan base. He became very popular in West Germany. In 1985, his album Shamrock Diaries sold a million copies. It included hit songs like "Stainsby Girls" and "Josephine". These songs helped UK audiences notice him more.

On the Beach and Dancing with Strangers

His international fame grew with the albums On The Beach (1986) and Dancing with Strangers (1987). Dancing with Strangers reached No. 2 on the UK albums chart. It also included his first Top 20 UK single, "Let's Dance". In 1986, Chris Rea performed at the Slane Concert with Queen.

By 1987, he was able to pay off his debt to the record company. He signed with Warners, who also bought Magnet Recordings. The Dancing with Strangers world tour sold out large venues. This included two shows at Wembley Arena. Chris Rea chose not to tour America extensively to spend time with his family.

New Light Through Old Windows

Chris Rea's next album was a collection of songs called New Light Through Old Windows (1988). Most of the songs were new versions of his older hits. This album also sold over a million copies and reached No. 5 in the UK. It included a new version of his popular song "Driving Home for Christmas". Some songs from this album were successful in the US. The album's success led to a big international tour.

Top of the Charts (1989–1994)

Chris Rea's tenth studio album, The Road to Hell (1989), was a huge success. It became his first No. 1 album in the UK. The single "The Road to Hell (Part 2)" was his first and only UK Top 10 single. In 1991, Auberge also reached No. 1 in the UK. The song "Auberge" made it into the UK Top 20.

Even at the height of his success, Chris Rea did not tour America. He also did not perform on MTV Unplugged. After Auberge, he released God's Great Banana Skin (1992), which reached No. 4 in the UK. The song "Nothing to Fear" was another Top 20 hit. In 1993, Espresso Logic made the Top 10. The song "Julia", written for his second daughter, was his sixth and last Top 20 single. In 1994, a compilation album, The Best of Chris Rea, was released and reached No. 3 in the UK.

Health and Return to Blues (1995–2005)

In 1994, Chris Rea developed stomach problems. The next year, he became very ill with peritonitis and almost died. After this, he decided to change his career path. He started working on movies. In 1996, he released the soundtrack album for La Passione, which he also wrote and produced.

In 1998, his fourteenth studio album, The Blue Cafe, came out. It reached the UK Top Ten and received very good reviews. A tour called The Blue Cafe Tour followed to promote the album. In 2000, King of the Beach made it to the UK Top 30.

Chris Rea was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer when he was 33. In 2000, he had a major surgery called a Whipple procedure. This surgery removed part of his pancreas, bile duct, and gallbladder. Since then, he has had to manage diabetes and a weaker immune system. He takes many pills and injections every day. Despite this, he found a deeper appreciation for life and his family.

He decided to return to his blues music roots. He started his own record label called Jazzee Blue. This allowed him to make the music he truly wanted. The first album on this label, Dancing Down the Stony Road (2002), reached No. 14 in the UK. Chris Rea wanted Jazzee Blue to be a place where musicians could make blues and jazz records.

In 2005, he released Blue Guitars. This was a special box set of 11 CDs with 137 blues-inspired songs. Chris Rea also painted the album covers for this project. He said that his illness gave him the chance to focus on the music that truly interested him.

Later Blues Albums and Tours (2006–2015)

Rea playing his Fender Stratocaster "Pinky" at the Congress Hall in Warsaw, 2012

In February 2008, Chris Rea released The Return of the Fabulous Hofner Bluenotes. This album was dedicated to 1960s Höfner guitars. It had 38 songs on three CDs. The album also came with a book of his paintings. A European tour followed this release, including a show at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Part of the tour was recorded and released as a live DVD and album.

His compilation album Still So Far to Go came out in October 2009. It included many of his well-known songs and some new ones. The album reached No. 8 in the UK. Chris Rea started a European tour called "Still So Far to Go" in January 2010.

In September 2011, the Santo Spirito Blues box set was released. This set included two films written and directed by Chris Rea. It also had three CDs with music from the films and a studio album. Soon after, he had two surgeries. In 2012, the Santo Spirito Tour began in Germany and visited many European countries. The UK part of the tour finished in London.

In November 2014, Chris Rea started a European tour called The Last Open Road Tour. He also performed at the 2014 Montreux Jazz Festival.

Recent Years (2016–Present)

Chris Rea had a stroke in 2016. This affected his speech and movement in his arms and fingers. He stopped smoking to prevent more strokes. He recovered enough to record and tour again. In September 2017, he released his twenty-fourth album, Road Songs for Lovers. He then went on a European tour. On December 9, he collapsed during a concert in Oxford. He was taken to the hospital and his condition became stable. This caused the last two concerts of the tour to be cancelled.

In October 2019, special deluxe versions of five of his successful albums were released. These included Shamrock Diaries and The Road to Hell. They had remastered songs and rare live tracks. Also in October 2019, One Fine Day was released. This album contained songs recorded in 1980 that had not been released before. In November 2020, a three-CD collection called Era 1: 1978 - 1984 was released.

Chris Rea's Music Style

His Guitars

Rea playing his Italia Maranello "Bluey" at the Heineken Music Hall, Amsterdam, 2010

Chris Rea's first guitar was a Höfner V3. He bought it from a second-hand shop. He played this guitar until 1979. The guitar most connected with him was a 1962 Fender Stratocaster, which he called "Pinky". He bought it after seeing a Ry Cooder concert. Since 2002, his main guitar has been an Italia Maranello, which he named "Bluey".

His Films

One of Chris Rea's childhood dreams was to write films and film music. He wrote the title song and music for the 1993 film Soft Top Hard Shoulder. He also wrote and produced the 1996 film La Passione. This film was partly inspired by his childhood love for motor racing and Formula One cars. Chris Rea also acted in the 1999 comedy film Parting Shots. Later, he made two films for his Santo Spirito Blues project, mainly so he could create the music for them.

Songs About His Hometown

Chris Rea has said that many of his songs were inspired by his hometown of Middlesbrough. For example, the line "I'm standing by a river, but the water doesn't flow / It boils with every poison you can think of" from "The Road to Hell" talks about his feelings. Songs like "Steel River" (which refers to the River Tees) and "Windy Town" also show his thoughts about the industrial decline of Middlesbrough. He felt sad when he saw how much his hometown had changed after being away on tour.

Chris Rea's Life Outside Music

Family Life

Chris Rea is married to Joan Lesley. They have been together since they met as teenagers in Middlesbrough in 1968. They have two daughters. Their first daughter, Josephine, was born in 1983. Their second daughter, Julia Christina, was born in 1989. Josephine studies Renaissance art in Florence, and Julia studied at the University of St Andrews. When he is not writing songs, Chris Rea enjoys painting. He also likes to read a lot. He once wanted to be a journalist and write about car racing.

Cars and Racing

Chris Rea racing in his Lotus 6 at the Goodwood Revival 2009

Chris Rea is a big fan of historic motor racing. He races classic cars like a Ferrari Dino and a 1955 Lotus 6. In 1993, he took part in a special race for the 1993 British Touring Car Championship. He owned and raced a 1964 Lotus Elan and the well-known Caterham 7 car from his Auberge album cover. He sold the Caterham 7 in 2005, and all the money went to a children's charity.

He also owned a Ferrari 330. This car was used to create a replica of a Ferrari 250 Le Mans for his 1996 movie La Passione. In 2014, he finished restoring a replica of a 1956 Ferrari 156 Sharknose Formula One racing car. He also drives a 1957 Morris Minor 1000 police car in races. Chris Rea has also been involved in Formula One racing. He even worked as a pit lane mechanic for the Jordan team during the 1995 Monaco Grand Prix. He wrote a song called "Saudade" to honor the three-time Formula One world champion Ayrton Senna.

Chris Rea's Music Albums

Studio Albums

Compilation Albums

See also

In Spanish: Chris Rea para niños