A Different View with Dave O’Connell

The ironic timing of singer Chris Rea’s death last week didn’t escape anyone’s attention, given that many of them might have heard about it as they were actually driving home for Christmas.

But my mind wandered back to another December occasion – all of 42 years ago now, when a young junior reporter from the Connacht Tribune headed out to the Corrib Great Southern with photographer Stan Shields to spend an hour in the company of possibly the most relaxed man in the music business.

Even then it was weird to get unfettered access to a singing star; these days it would be easier to get to sit down for a pint with the Pope.

But as you may have gathered in tributes over the past week, Chris Rea was no ordinary singing star; he wore his success lightly and,........

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