Chris Rea in 1988, pictured for the Brit awards with Bananarama and Carol Decker of T’PauPhotograph: Alan Davidson/ShutterstockShare
The singer pictured in the late 1970s, as his career was beginning to take off – with a particularly strong showing in the US, thanks to the hit Fool (If You Think It’s Over)Photograph: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty ImagesShareIn 1979, the year he released his second studio album, DelticsPhotograph: George Wilkes Archive/Getty ImagesSharePerforming on stage circa 1980, around the release of his third album, Tennis – a relative failure before his fortunes surged in the middle of the decadePhotograph: Michael Putland/Getty ImagesShareBackstage at the Venue in London, March 1983Photograph: Fin Costello/RedfernsShareEmbraced by Queen drummer Roger Taylor at the Montreux jazz festival in 1986Photograph: Alan Davidson/ShutterstockShareOn stage at Montreux, 1986. By now, Rea was in his prime, having released hits such as On the BeachPhotograph: David Redfern/RedfernsShareShirley Bassey and Chris Rea at North Ealing Studios, west London, shooting La Passione, a 1996 film written and scored by ReaPhotograph: Stefan Rousseau/PAShareRea in 2000, having earned a moderate hit with the album King of the BeachPhotograph: ShutterstockShareRea in 2005, having recovered from a severe bout of pancreatitis, which resulted in him losing his pancreas, duodenum and gall bladderPhotograph: Richard Ecclestone/RedfernsShareIn his studio in 2005Photograph: Richard Ecclestone/RedfernsShareIn concert at the Hammersmith Apollo, London, in 2010 – riding high after the Top 10 success of his defiantly titled greatest hits compilation Still So Far to GoPhotograph: Brian Rasic/Getty ImagesShareRea at his home in Berkshire in 2011Photograph: Mike Lawn/ShutterstockShareReturning to the Montreux jazz festival in 2014Photograph: Loona/Abaca/ShutterstockSharePerforming at Symphony Hall, Birmingham in 2017Photograph: Jason Sheldon/Shutterstock
