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Derry musician to reimagine classic Chris Rea songs

Paul Casey Guitarists Chris Rea, dressed in dark t-shirt and playing a blue guitar, and Paul Casey, in a dark shirt and playing a fender , play together on a darkly lit stagePaul Casey
The pair playing together

Growing up, singer-songwriter Paul Casey's dad would often play the aspiring musician the songs of Chris Rea.

Little did the guitarist, from Londonderry, know then that not only would he befriend the man he credits with inspiring him into music - but he would recreate some of his most famous songs for a new album.

That album - Rea-imagine – will be released next Spring and be performed live for the first time at the 2025 City of Derry Jazz festival.

"The reason I play guitar is because of Chris Rea," Paul told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme.

Rea, best known for hits Driving Home for Christmas and Road to Hell has sold more than 40 million records worldwide.

'He said he loved my voice'

Paul Casey Musicians Paul Casey and Chris Rea share a BBC Radio 2 stage. A promo for radio 2 can be seen at the back of the stage, between Casey, who is on the left and wearing a green jacket, and Rea on the right, and in a blue shirtPaul Casey
The pair have a friendship that spans some two decades

The friendship between the musicians goes back almost twenty years.

The pair first met backstage at a concert Chris Rea played at Belfast's Kings Hall.

At a second meeting in London saw Paul give Chris a demo tape.

"He called me up a few days later", Paul said.

"He said he loved my voice and that he was amazed by how close my guitar style was to his.

"We started working together then, first I went on tour as a support act. I went on to join Chris' band and then I was his studio engineer for a time too.

"Sometimes I did have to pinch myself," Paul said.

Paul Casey Guitarist Paul Casey playing on stage, wearing a checked shirtPaul Casey
Paul will play the album live at the Derry jazz festival next year

Pancreatic cancer

Rea had his pancreas removed in 2001 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

He suffered a stroke in 2016, but recovered to launch an album.

In recent years he has withdrawn from the spotlight.

In 2023, Rea wrote a song called The Peace Bridge about Derry's famous landmark which Paul then recorded.

The plans for Rea-imagine came about following Paul's appearance at the Glastonbury music festival earlier this year.

"When I was invited to play Glastonbury, Hot Press interviewed Chris and he spoke about how my guitar style is very like his.

"That started me thinking about doing something for the City of Derry Jazz Festival and I just thought a night of Chris' music would be totally different instead of my own.

"A friend in public relations suggested the title should be Rea-Imagine and I thought, there's an album there.

"I then started recording songs keeping true to Chris but in a way that I would approach them".

'I will stay true to his music'

Getty/Frank Hoensch/Redferns British singer Chris Rea stands at the mic, holding a guitar. He is in the middle of singing in this picture. He has black hair slicked back and white stubble. .He wears a black t-shirt. The picture was taken during a concert at the Tempodrom on October 30, 2017 in Berlin, Germany.Getty/Frank Hoensch/Redferns
Rea performs on stage during a concert in Berlin in 2017

So how do you approach reimagining a rock icon's internationally renowned back catalogue?

"I do send the tracks to Chris," said Paul.

"I know I always have his blessing as he knows I will stay true to his music. These are the songs that I grew up with and I love to play them live," he added.