Uploaded October 2014 | Updated September 2026, 52 minutes ago
A bit of Chris Rea
Rea is the son of Camillo Rea, an immigrant from Italy and Winifred, of Irish descent (died Sept 1983). He has two brothers, Nick and Mike, and four sisters, Catherine, Geraldine, Paula and Camille. He is married to Joan, with whom he has two daughters (Josephine, born September 16 1983, and Julia Christina, born March 18 1989). He used to live at Sol Mill in Cookham, Berkshire. This property also contained the Sol Mill Recording Studios where he produced some of his later albums. He also produced albums for other artists such as Sylvin Marc, and Robert Ahwai on his Jazeeblue label. The property was sold in 2006.
The name "Rea" (pronounced "Ray-ah") was well-known locally thanks to the chain of "Rea's Ice-cream" shops owned by Camillo Rea. In later years the chain folded except for one shop operated by Camillo himself. He played his son's music constantly inside the shop. He holds a season ticket with Middlesbrough football club to be near his birthplace in Linthorpe, Middlesbrough.
Tell Me There's A Heaven
The little girl she said to me
What are these things that I can see
Each night when I come home from school
And mama calls me in for tea
Oh every night a baby dies
And every night a mama cries
What makes those men do what they do
To make that person black and blue
Grandpa says their happy now
They sit with God in paradise
With angels' wings and still somehow
It makes me feel like ice
Tell me there's a heaven
Tell me that it's true
Tell me there's a reason
Why I'm seeing what I do
Tell me there's a heaven
Where all those people go
Tell me they're all happy now
Papa tell me that it's so
So do I tell her that it's true
That there's a place for me and you
Where hungry children smile and say
We wouldn't have no other way
That every painful crack of bones
Is a step along the way
Every wrong done is a game plan
To that great and joyful day
And I'm looking at the father and the son
And I'm looking at the mother and the daughter
And I'm watching them in tears of pain
And I'm watching them suffer
Don't tell that little girl
Tell me
Tell me there's a heaven
Tell me that it's true
Tell me there's a reason
Why I'm seeing what I do
Tell me there's a heaven
Where all those people go
Tell me they're all happy now
Papa tell me that it's so
A bit of Chris Rea
Rea is the son of Camillo Rea, an immigrant from Italy and Winifred, of Irish descent (died Sept 1983). He has two brothers, Nick and Mike, and four sisters, Catherine, Geraldine, Paula and Camille. He is married to Joan, with whom he has two daughters (Josephine, born September 16 1983, and Julia Christina, born March 18 1989). He used to live at Sol Mill in Cookham, Berkshire. This property also contained the Sol Mill Recording Studios where he produced some of his later albums. He also produced albums for other artists such as Sylvin Marc, and Robert Ahwai on his Jazeeblue label. The property was sold in 2006.
The name "Rea" (pronounced "Ray-ah") was well-known locally thanks to the chain of "Rea's Ice-cream" shops owned by Camillo Rea. In later years the chain folded except for one shop operated by Camillo himself. He played his son's music constantly inside the shop. He holds a season ticket with Middlesbrough football club to be near his birthplace in Linthorpe, Middlesbrough.
Tell Me There's A Heaven
The little girl she said to me
What are these things that I can see
Each night when I come home from school
And mama calls me in for tea
Oh every night a baby dies
And every night a mama cries
What makes those men do what they do
To make that person black and blue
Grandpa says their happy now
They sit with God in paradise
With angels' wings and still somehow
It makes me feel like ice
Tell me there's a heaven
Tell me that it's true
Tell me there's a reason
Why I'm seeing what I do
Tell me there's a heaven
Where all those people go
Tell me they're all happy now
Papa tell me that it's so
So do I tell her that it's true
That there's a place for me and you
Where hungry children smile and say
We wouldn't have no other way
That every painful crack of bones
Is a step along the way
Every wrong done is a game plan
To that great and joyful day
And I'm looking at the father and the son
And I'm looking at the mother and the daughter
And I'm watching them in tears of pain
And I'm watching them suffer
Don't tell that little girl
Tell me
Tell me there's a heaven
Tell me that it's true
Tell me there's a reason
Why I'm seeing what I do
Tell me there's a heaven
Where all those people go
Tell me they're all happy now
Papa tell me that it's so
