
Acting
Community Rating
6.4
TMDB estimate
Born
March 4, 1951
Died
December 22, 2025 (age 74)
Born in
Middlesbrough, England, UK
Christopher Anton Rea (4 March 1951 – 22 December 2025) was an English rock and blues singer and guitarist from Middlesbrough. A "gravel-voiced guitar stalwart", known for his slide guitar playing, Rea has recorded twenty-five solo albums, two of which topped the UK Albums Chart. Described as "rock's ultimate survivor", given his recovery from several bouts of serious illness, Rea was "a major European star by the time he finally cracked the UK Top 10" with his single "The Road to Hell (Part 2)". The album, The Road to Hell (1989), topped the album chart, as did its successor, Auberge (1991). His many hit songs include "I Can Hear Your Heartbeat", "Stainsby Girls", "Josephine", "On the Beach", "Let's Dance", "Driving Home for Christmas", "Working on It", "Tell Me There's a Heaven", "Auberge" and "Julia". He also recorded a duet with Elton John, "If You Were Me". Rea was nominated three times for the Brit Award for Best British Male Artist: in 1988, 1989 and 1990. He has never toured the United States, where he is best known for the 1978 single "Fool (If You Think It's Over)", which reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart, earning him a Grammy nomination as Best New Artist in 1978. A decade later, "Working On It" topped the Mainstream Rock chart. He has sold more than 40 million records worldwide. Christopher Rea was born on 4 March 1951 in Middlesbrough in the North Riding of Yorkshire to an Italian father, Camillo Rea (died December 2010) originating from Arpino in the Province of Frosinone, and an Irish mother, Winifred K. Slee (died September 1983), as one of seven children. His family were of the Roman Catholic faith. The name Rea was well known locally thanks to his father's ice cream factory and café chain. When he was twelve, he worked clearing tables in the coffee bar and making ice cream in the factory. He wanted to improve the business, but his ideas got no support from his father. After leaving, he was replaced by one of his brothers. At that time he wanted to be a journalist and attended St Mary's College, Middlesbrough. ... Source: Article "Chris Rea" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Chris Rea: Live at Baloise session 2017
as Self
2017

Chris Rea: Montreux Jazz Festival
as Self
2014

Racing the Silver Arrows
as Music
2013

Chris Rea: The Road to Hell and Back
as Self
2006
Willkommen bei Carmen Nebel
as Self
2004

Chris Rea: Stony Road
as Self
2002
Die Stunde der Stars
as Self
2001

Parting Shots
as Harry Sterndale
1999
Show Palast
as Self
1999
Millionär gesucht! - Die SKL Show
as Self
1998

Parkinson
as Self
1998
La Passione
as Producer, Writer, Original Music Composer
1997

Shooting Stars
as Self
1993

Curves Contours & Body Horns
as Self
1993

Soft Top Hard Shoulder
as Original Music Composer
1993
Flitterabend
as Self - Singer
1988
Ein Abend in Gold
as Self
1988

Téléthon
as Self
1987

Sacrée Soirée
as Self
1987

Now or Never
as Music
1986