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 4 March 1951) is a British singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is from Middlesbrough, England. Chris Rea is famous for his unique voice and his special way of playing the slide guitar.

He has released twenty-five studio albums. Two of these albums, The Road to Hell (1989) and Auberge (1991), became number one hits in the UK. Before these, he was already a big star in Europe. His song "The Road to Hell (Part 2)" helped him become well-known in the UK.

Chris Rea has written many popular songs. Some of his hits include "I Can Hear Your Heartbeat", "Josephine", "On the Beach", and "Driving Home for Christmas". He even recorded a song with Elton John called "If You Were Me". He was nominated three times for the Brit Award for Best British Male Artist.

In the United States, Chris Rea is best known for his 1978 song "Fool (If You Think It's Over)". This song reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also stayed at number one on the Adult Contemporary chart for three weeks. He was even nominated for a Grammy Award as Best New Artist in 1978. Chris Rea has sold over 40 million records around the world.

About Chris Rea

His Early Life

Christopher Rea was born on 4 March 1951 in Middlesbrough. His father, Camillo Rea, was Italian, and his mother, Winifred Slee, was Irish. Chris was one of seven children. His family was well-known locally because his father 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 wanted to make the business better, but his father did not support his ideas. Chris later wanted to be a journalist and studied at St Mary's College, Middlesbrough.

Chris bought his first guitar in his early twenties. It was a 1961 Höfner V3. He mostly played "bottleneck" guitar, also known as slide guitar. Chris was inspired by blues musicians like Charlie Patton and Blind Willie Johnson. He also listened to Ry Cooder and Joe Walsh. He learned to play guitar by himself.

He tried to join a friend's band, The Elastic Band. But his father advised him not to, as the band would not earn enough money. So, Chris worked odd jobs, including in his father's ice cream business. He spent a lot of time in the stockroom playing his slide guitar.

Starting His Music Career (1973–1982)

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

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

His First Album

Chris Rea in 1978

Chris Rea's first album, Whatever Happened to Benny Santini?, came out in June 1978. The record label wanted him to use a stage name like "Benny Santini." The album reached number 49 on the Billboard Hot 200 chart in the US.

The main song from the album, "Fool (If You Think It's Over)", was Chris Rea's biggest hit in the US. It reached number one on the Adult Contemporary Singles chart. It also hit number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. This success led to Chris being nominated for a Grammy Award as Best New Artist.

Chris Rea did not have many early hit singles in the UK. "Fool" did okay when it was released again in the UK. Because of its success in the US, people thought Chris was a piano player like Elton John. But he is mainly a guitar player. He said "Fool" is the only song he has recorded without playing guitar. Chris has always preferred to be known for his music, not as a "rock star."

Later Early Albums

Chris Rea's second album, Deltics (1979), was also produced by Gus Dudgeon. Chris then recorded his third album, Tennis (1980), with musicians from Middlesbrough. This album received good reviews.

However, both albums did not sell well. His fourth album, Chris Rea (1981), also did not reach the UK Top 50. Chris found it hard to work with his producers. He felt they changed his blues-influenced music too much. He later realized he should have stuck to what he wanted to do.

Becoming Popular in Europe (1983–1988)

Water Sign and Shamrock Diaries

Chris Rea in the 1980s

From 1983, Chris Rea's music started to sound more like what he wanted. His record company decided to release the demo tapes of his fifth album, Water Sign, to save money. This album was the first of many successful ones with producer David Richards.

Water Sign sold over half a million copies in Europe. The song "I Can Hear Your Heartbeat" became popular in Europe. His next album, Wired to the Moon (1984), was his first to reach the UK Top 40. Chris started focusing on touring Europe and building his fan base there. He became very popular in West Germany.

It was not until his 1985 album, Shamrock Diaries, that UK audiences really noticed him. This album sold a million copies. It included hit songs like "Stainsby Girls" and "Josephine", which he wrote for his wife and daughter.

On the Beach and Dancing with Strangers

His fame grew even more with the albums On The Beach (1986) and Dancing with Strangers (1987). Both sold over a million copies. Dancing with Strangers reached number 2 on the UK albums chart. It also included his first UK Top 20 single, "Let's Dance".

In 1986, Chris Rea performed at the Slane Concert in Ireland, supporting Queen. By 1987, he was able to pay off his debt to the record company. He then signed with Warners. The Dancing with Strangers world tour sold out big venues. This included two shows at Wembley Arena in London. Chris chose not to tour America because he wanted to spend time with his family.

New Light Through Old Windows

Chris Rea's next album was a compilation called New Light Through Old Windows (1988). Most of the songs were new versions of his older hits. This album sold over a million copies and reached number 5 in the UK. It included a new version of his popular song "Driving Home for Christmas". Some songs from this album also did well in the US. After the album's success, he went on a big international tour.

Top of the Charts (1989–1994)

Chris Rea's tenth album, The Road to Hell (1989), was a huge success. It became his first number one album in the UK. The song "The Road to Hell (Part 2)" was his first and only UK Top 10 single. In 1991, Auberge also reached number one in the UK. The song "Auberge" made it into the UK Top 20.

Even at the peak of his success, Chris Rea did not tour America. He also did not perform on MTV Unplugged. He later said that not focusing on the US market was one of his biggest mistakes.

After Auberge, Chris released God's Great Banana Skin (1992), which reached number 4 in the UK. The song "Nothing to Fear" was another Top 20 hit. A year later, Espresso Logic made the Top 10. The song "Julia", written about his second daughter, was his last Top 20 single. In 1994, another compilation album, The Best of Chris Rea, was released and reached number 3 in the UK.

Health Challenges and Return to Blues (1995–2005)

In 1994, Chris Rea faced serious health challenges. He had a major surgery in 2000. This experience made him appreciate life, his family, and his music even more. He realized he wanted to go back to his blues music roots.

A record company offered him a lot of money to make an album with other famous artists. But Chris decided to start his own record label, Jazzee Blue. This allowed him to make the music he truly loved. The first album on his new label was Dancing Down the Stony Road (2002). It reached number 14 in the UK.

In 2003, he released Blue Street (Five Guitars) and Hofner Blue Notes. The Blue Jukebox followed in 2004. In 2005, he released Blue Guitars. This was a huge box set of 11 CDs with 137 blues-inspired songs. Each album cover featured Chris Rea's own paintings. He said that his health challenges helped him focus on the music that truly interested him.

More Blues Albums and Tours (2006–2015)

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

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

In 2009, he released the compilation Still So Far to Go. This album included his well-known hits and songs from his blues period. It also had two new songs. The album reached number 8 in the UK. Chris started a European tour called "Still So Far to Go" in 2010.

In 2011, the Santo Spirito Blues box set was released. It included two films written and directed by Chris Rea, along with three CDs of music. He went on the Santo Spirito Tour in 2012, performing in many countries. In 2014, Chris Rea went on another European tour called The Last Open Road Tour. He also performed at the 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 2017, he released his twenty-fourth album, Road Songs for Lovers. He then went on a European tour. During a concert in December, he collapsed but recovered. This led to the cancellation of his last two shows.

In 2019, special deluxe editions of five of his most successful albums were released. These included Shamrock Diaries and The Road To Hell. They had remastered versions of the original albums and rare tracks. Also in 2019, One Fine Day was released. This album contained songs recorded in 1980 that had never been released before. In 2020, a triple CD compilation called Era 1: 1978 - 1984 was released.

His Music Style

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 often linked with him is 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 that he named "Bluey."

Film Work

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. In 1999, Chris Rea acted in the comedy film Parting Shots. He played a character who was told he had only six weeks to live. Later, he made two more films for his Santo Spirito Blues project, mainly to create music for them.

His Life Outside Music

Family Life

Chris Rea is married to Joan Lesley. They have been together since they met as teenagers in 1968 in Middlesbrough. They have two daughters. Josephine was born in 1983, and Julia Christina was born in 1989. Josephine teaches about Renaissance art in Florence. Julia studied at the University of St Andrews.

Chris Rea used to live in Cookham, Berkshire. He owned a recording studio there. When he is not writing songs, he enjoys painting. He also loves to read. He once said that journalism was his first passion. He wanted to write about car racing.

Cars and Motor 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 a Ferrari Dino, a Ferrari 328, and a 1955 Lotus 6. In 1993, he took part in a special race in the 1993 British Touring Car Championship. He owned and raced a 1964 Lotus Elan and the Caterham 7 car seen on his Auberge album cover. He sold the Caterham in 2005, and all the money went to a charity called NSPCC.

He also owned a Ferrari 330. This car was used to make a replica of a Ferrari 250 Le Mans for his 1996 movie La Passione. In 2014, he finished restoring a replica of a 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 worked as a pit lane mechanic for the Jordan team during the 1995 Monaco Grand Prix. He wrote a song called "Saudade" as a tribute to the racing champion Ayrton Senna.

His Views on Society

In a 2017 interview, Chris Rea shared his thoughts on politics. He supported Jeremy Corbyn and even wrote a song about him. Chris believes that politicians and governments in the UK and Europe have lost touch with everyday people. He is unsure about the idea of a unified Europe. He thinks that forcing different people to live together might not work, like what happened with the breakup of Yugoslavia.

Discography

Studio Albums

Compilation Albums

Images for kids

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  Chris Rea performing in Warsaw, February 2012

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  Chris Rea in 1978

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  Chris Rea in the 1980s

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  Rea playing his Fender Stratocaster "Pinky" in Warsaw, 2012

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  Rea playing his Italia Maranello "Bluey" in Amsterdam, 2010

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

See also

In Spanish: Chris Rea para niños