Chris Rea third sibling to die in three months, family reveals
The singer's other sister Camille Whitaker, 79, revealed all the tragic details, adding that the sudden loss of the artist had "completely wrecked" the family
Chris Rea is the third of his siblings to die within three months, his heartbroken family has revealed.
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The Driving Home for Christmas singer passed away aged 74 on Monday, shorty after witnessing the birth of his grandchild.
His other sister Camille Whitaker, 79, revealed all the tragic details, adding that the sudden loss of the artist had "completely wrecked" the family, coming so soon after the recent deaths of his sister and brother.
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Chris was one of seven siblings, and his youngest Nicholas sadly passed away in a Yorkshire hospital in October from brain cancer, at the age of 66.
Just days after his funeral, Mrs Whitaker's twin sister Geraldine Milward died suddenly.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Mrs Whitaker said: "It is an awful pain. It is gut-wrenching what happened.
"The family has been quite shocked by it. It is tragic. We can't sort of get around it."
Before his passing, Chris lived with his wife and children in Buckinghamshrie and kept "very close" to his family, Mrs Whitaker said.
His eldest daughter Josephine had "inspired one of his songs" and his second daughter Julia had recently had a baby.
Mrs Whitaker admitted that Chris had "terrible, terrible health" before he died, having been "unwell for some time".
She said her brother was a "reluctant star", who was "very quiet and very shy", adding she had last spoken to him six days ago on the phone.
Beloved for his gravelly voice and latterly for his slide guitar playing, Chris was nominated for a slew of top awards, including Brit Awards, at the height of his success and sold millions of records.
Following his death, a statement issued by his wife and children read: “It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Chris.
"He passed away peacefully in hospital earlier today following a short illness, surrounded by his family.”
Rea’s debut album titled Whatever Happened To Benny Santini?, a reference to the stage name his record label wanted him to adopt, was released in 1978.
The track Fool (If You Think It’s Over) went on to be nominated for a Grammy.
He did not find such success again for a few years but by the time his eighth album On The Beach, spawning a hit single of the same name, was released, he was a star in the UK and around Europe, with sporadic hits in the US.