Rock Music

Chris Rea, who maintained a multi-decade career as a singer and songwriter, has died.

A spokesperson for the performer's family told BBC News he died Monday in a hospital after a "short illness." His family -- including his wife Joan and daughters Josephine and Julia -- was at his side when he died.

Rea was born in Middlesbrough, England, in 1951, one of seven children raised by an Irish mother and an Italian father who owned an ice cream factory and cafes.

He began his musical career at an early age, and he joined several bands before his first single, "So Much Love," debuted in 1974. He released his debut album, "Whatever Happened To Benny Santini?", four years later.

Rea's first major hit, "Fool (If You Think It’s Over)," was released the same year, and it ended up reaching the number 12 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Rea received a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist the following year.

Rea released several albums throughout the 1980s, and his most enduring hit, "Driving Home for Christmas," debuted in 1986.

The musician was also a noted fan of motorsports and took part in the 1993 British Touring Car Championship, reports The Guardian.

Rea was 74 years old.

Like it or not, the Christmas magic really does come for us all ... including rockers like Marilyn Manson!

We caught up with the singer while he was heading through LAX and asked for his opinions about the holiday season ... turns out he likes Christmas just as much as the next guy!

Gary "Mani" Mounfield, who established himself as one of alternative rock's premier bassists through his work with The Stone Roses, has died.

The performer's death was announced by his brother Greg in a Facebook post Thursday ... the bassist's sibling wrote he was sharing the post "with the heaviest of hearts." Mounfield's cause of death wasn't revealed in the post.

Mounfield was mourned on X by The Stone Roses frontman Ian Brown and Liam Gallagher of Oasis, who called the bass player his "hero."

Mounfield joined The Stone Roses in 1987 and played on the band's only two albums, "The Stone Roses" and "Second Coming." The band broke up in 1996, reunited in 2011, and remained together until 2017.

Mounfield joined Primal Scream following The Stone Roses' initial breakup, staying with the band until 2011.

Mounfield also collaborated with numerous other artists over the course of his career ... he was a member of the supergroup Freebass, which included The Smiths' bassist Andy Rourke and Joy Division's Peter Hook.

Mounfield is survived by his twin sons, Gene and George. His wife Imelda died in 2023.

Mounfield was 63 years old.

Roger Waters might be rock royalty ... but he's definitely not a friend of Ozzy Osbourne's family, who slammed the Pink Floyd bassist in the newest episode of "The Osbournes Podcast," released Wednesday.

The surviving members of the family made no secret of their dislike for Waters during the podcast -- the first released since Ozzy's death in July -- and Ozzy's widow Sharon broached the topic by calling Waters "one of the most sick individuals" she'd met in years.

The put-downs from Sharon and her children, Jack and Kelly, grew harsher and harsher, and plenty of four-letter words were used as they slammed Waters.

It looks like the lights are finally going down on Journey's time as a band ... because they just announced they will be heading out on a farewell tour next year.

The legendary arena rock band announced the dates for the first leg of the "Final Frontier" tour, which will mark the beginning of the end of their run, which kicked off back in 1973, reports Variety.

Neal Schon, the band's last remaining original member, issued a statement about the shows, which he described as "a thank-you and the beginning of what’s next."

Longtime Philadelphia radio DJ Pierre Robert has died, according to Beasley Media Group, the parent company of his longtime station 93.3 WMMR-FM.

Robert was found dead at his home Wednesday, and a cause of death wasn't immediately released, according to 6ABC in Philadelphia.

Robert was originally from California. He began his career in San Francisco, and later moved to Philadelphia and started at WMMR in 1981.

It looks like Jon Bon Jovi's getting back on the road again ... because he just announced the dates for his upcoming "Forever" tour.

The singer and his band are set to make their big return to the stage in July 2026 for four nights at Madison Square Garden in New York City, before they fly across the pond for a string of dates in the UK and Ireland, according to Variety.

Jon released a statement to go along with the announcement, describing himself as "deeply grateful" for the patience of both his fans and his band members in planning the tour.

Ace Frehley had plenty of wild times throughout his career as a musician ... and we're here for all of them!

The guitarist was best known for rocking and rolling all night with KISS, the band he co-founded and performed with for years ... before taking off and embarking on his own solo career.

We're going to take a look into the performer's professional background and see what led up to his tragic death.

Ace was born Paul Daniel Frehley in 1951, and he was raised in The Bronx, New York City -- pretty far from Detroit Rock City, but he'd end up there eventually.

The performer reportedly received an electric guitar as a Christmas gift in 1964 ... and skipped  lessons, relying on the influence of guitarists like Jimi Hendrix and B.B. King, according to Variety.

His career as a musician began shortly afterward, when he dropped out of high school ... one of his bands began earning money, and another band signed with RCA Records.

Ace spoke about his early days as a musician in an interview with Guitar Player and said he'd "probably have practiced a little more" if he'd known he'd make it big one day.

Ace was one of the founding members of KISS -- alongside Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, and Peter Criss -- which was founded in New York City all the way back in 1973.

Ace was the group's lead guitarist, and the group became pop culture icons for wearing makeup and costumes while performing, and their shows became legendary for their theatrics.

Ace didn't stay with the band forever, though ... he left the band in 1982 to focus on his solo career.

He eventually rejoined KISS, which was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014, after a 14-year break, and he remained with the group until 2002, when he took off for good.

Ace started his own band, Frehley's Comet, after his first departure from KISS. He was the group's lead guitarist and one of its main vocalists.

The group only lasted for a total of four years, although they had a few reunions after the release of their final album in 1988.

Ace's solo career continued after the band dissolved, and he released several albums under his own name over the years.

The late musician's most recently released record, "10,000 Volts," was released in 2024.

Ace died at the age of 74 on Thursday, October 16, 2025, after suffering a brain bleed caused by injuries sustained in a fall.

The guitarist's injury reportedly took place in a studio several weeks prior to his death.

Ace was subsequently hospitalized, and his family ended up making the decision to remove him from life support.

Ace Frehley won't be rocking out on stage anytime soon ... because he's just cleared his touring schedule for the rest of the year.

The former Kiss guitarist shared a message on his social media accounts citing "ongoing medical issues" as the reason for the cancellations.

The performer currently only has one show scheduled on his official website, as he's set to play in Highland, California, in February 2026.

Ace has had a bit of a rough run lately ... as he was hospitalized back in September after suffering a "minor fall" in his studio.

The rock star shared a message on his Instagram account at the time and claimed, while he was feeling fine after the incident, his doctor advised him to stay off the road while he recovered.

He ended up having to cancel a show at the Antelope Valley Fair in Lancaster, California, in order to focus on his health.