Produced with CyberLink PowerDirector 13 . Merry Christmas & Happy New Year ! Christopher Anton "Chris" Rea ( born 4 March 1951) is an English singer-songwriter, recognisable for his distinctive, husky voice and slide guitar playing. 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)'." By 2009, Rea had sold more than 30 million albums worldwide.