{"id":28968,"date":"2026-08-05T20:47:24","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T15:47:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=28968"},"modified":"2026-08-05T20:47:24","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T15:47:24","slug":"chris-rea-leaves-huge-seven-figure-sum-in-his-will-to-wife-joan-as-fortune-revealed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=28968","title":{"rendered":"Chris Rea leaves huge seven figure sum in his will to wife Joan as fortune revealed"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" id=\"article-body\">\n<h2 class=\"LeadText_lead-text__wd_PA __className_71ac79\" data-testid=\"leadtext\">Driving Home For Christmas singer Chris Rea left a huge sum to his wife in his final will as his fortune is revealed<\/h2>\n<p><button xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX ImageEmbed_image-lead__Ti3qQ\" data-testid=\"leadimage\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37517604\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Chris Rea's final will has been revealed\" loading=\"eager\" sizes=\"(max-width: 508px) 508px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37517604.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/0_Fans-Attended-Sold-Out-Kate-Bush-Comeback-Concert.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37517604.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s508\/0_Fans-Attended-Sold-Out-Kate-Bush-Comeback-Concert.jpg 508w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37517604.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615\/0_Fans-Attended-Sold-Out-Kate-Bush-Comeback-Concert.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37517604.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/0_Fans-Attended-Sold-Out-Kate-Bush-Comeback-Concert.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Chris Rea's final will has been revealed\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Chris Rea&#8217;s final will has been revealed<cite aria-label=\"Image: Getty Images\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Getty Images)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><a aria-label=\"Chris ReaLink opens in a new tab.\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/chris-rea\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_blank\">Chris Rea<\/a> &#8216;s final will and the huge sum he gave to his wife has been revealed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The singer, famed for his festive hit Driving Home For <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/christmas\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Christmas<\/a>, died just days before the festive season following a short illness. He had suffered from many health issues over the years, including issues with his kidney, diabetes as well as pancreatic cancer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Court records have revealed that Chris left a whopping \u00a314,435,894 to his wife Joan in his will. The amount, with taxes, debts and costs taken into account, meant the amount was reduced to \u00a312,063,178.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">His final gift of \u00a312million went to his family, with it also being stipulated in the will that he&#8217;d like to be cremated. According to <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/tvandshowbiz\/39971989\/chris-rea-leaves-wife-will\/\" rel=\"nofollow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">The Sun,<\/a> any funds from his music being played on the radio in the future will also go to his wife.<\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" data-testid=\"image-grouped\">\n<div class=\"ImageGroupEmbed_container__i0sRj\" data-testid=\"portrait-image-group\">\n<div class=\"ImageGroupEmbed_image-group-item__XHC82\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-37517602\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37517602\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:0.6666666666666666\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Chris Rea is famed for his song Driving Home for Christmas\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37517602.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_Chris-Rea.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37517602.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/0_Chris-Rea.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37517602.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/0_Chris-Rea.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37517602.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_Chris-Rea.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Chris Rea is famed for his song Driving Home for Christmas\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Chris Rea is famed for his song Driving Home for Christmas<cite aria-label=\"Image: Getty Images\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Getty Images)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<div class=\"ImageGroupEmbed_image-group-item__XHC82\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-37517606\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37517606\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:0.6666666666666666\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Chris Rea with his wife Joan and their daughter Josephine\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37517606.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_Bill-Wyman-Reworked-Private-View.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37517606.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/0_Bill-Wyman-Reworked-Private-View.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37517606.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/0_Bill-Wyman-Reworked-Private-View.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37517606.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_Bill-Wyman-Reworked-Private-View.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Chris Rea with his wife Joan and their daughter Josephine\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Chris Rea with his wife Joan and their daughter Josephine<cite aria-label=\"Image: Getty Images\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Getty Images)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Chris met Joan when they were teenagers and they were married for 57 years. They had two daughters together, Josephine and Julia.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">A statement from his family at the time of his death read: &#8220;Singer\/songwriter and guitarist, Chris Rea, passed away earlier today in hospital following a short illness. A statement on behalf of his wife and two children was released to the media this afternoon.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;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.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Reflecting on his health struggles before his death, he said: &#8220;1994, most incredibly successful year, Bing! Abcess on the colon, colostomy bag. They took away the pancreas, the duodenum, the gall bladder and the left quadrant of the liver. All gone.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;That too me, well, I have never really got over it. Type 1 Diabetic, I have to take 34 pills every day, and then, after all of that, my kidneys&#8217; gone.&#8221; He joked that he had a &#8220;very good heart&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Chris was also previously diagnosed with pancreatic cancer before having his pancreas removed in 2001. In 2016, he also suffered from a stroke in a string of many health battles over the years.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><em><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">Like this s<\/strong> <\/em><em><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">tory? 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The singer, famed for his festive&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28969,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37517604.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200d\/0_Fans-Attended-Sold-Out-Kate-Bush-Comeback-Concert.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28968","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrity-gossip"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28968","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=28968"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28968\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/28969"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=28968"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=28968"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=28968"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}