Chris Rea
English singer and guitarist / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Christopher Anton Rea (/ˈriːə/ REE-ə; born 4 March 1951)[1] is a British rock and blues singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known in the United States for the 1978 hit song "Fool (If You Think It's Over)" that reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. This success earned him a Grammy nomination as Best New Artist in 1979.[2]
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Birth name | Christopher Anton Rea |
Born | (1951-03-04) 4 March 1951 (age 73) Middlesbrough, North Riding of Yorkshire, England |
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Years active | 1978–present |
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Website | chrisrea |
The book Guinness Rockopedia described him as a "gravel-voiced guitar stalwart".[3] The British Hit Singles & Albums stated that Rea was "one of the most popular UK singer-songwriters of the late 1980s. He was already a major European star by the time he finally cracked the UK Top 10 with his 18th chart entry; "The Road to Hell (Part 2)".[4]
In 2000, Rea was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.[5][6] Since his cancer diagnosis, he underwent multiple surgeries and was diagnosed with diabetes.[7] In 2016, he suffered a stroke, which left him slurred speech and impaired movements.[8]