Tributes have been pouring in for former Pop Idol and West End star Darius Campbell Danesh following the announcement of his passing.
The 41-year-old was found dead in his US apartment on August 11, with his family announcing the sad news to the world's media on Tuesday.
Celebs including Gareth Gates and Simon Cowell, who both got to know Darius during his highly-memorable stint as a contestant on Popstars and Pop Idol, have issued heartfelt tributes to the Colourblind singer.
READ MORE: Moment Pop Idol star Darius Danesh found dead confirmed in heartbreaking 911 call
Born in Glasgow to a Scottish mother and Iranian father, Darius always wore his mixed roots on his sleeve.
And while he was brought up in Bearsden, the late pop singer also had strong links to Scotland's capital before becoming a household name on TV screens in the early 2000s.
After graduating from the Glasgow Academy, Darius enrolled at the University of Edinburgh to study English Literature and Philosophy.
It's known that for three of his four years in the capital, he shared a flat on the Royal Mile, which was "cheap to rent", with the singer later admitting he had played the role of rock star there and "pulled" girls at wild parties.
Installed as an ambassador for the Prince's Trust, and as a supporter of Cancer Research UK, Darius was famous for his charitable exploits down the years, but he was already showing off his giving side well before hitting the big time.
In January 2001, just as Darius was about to appear on the ITV show Popstars, he joined fellow Edinburgh University students on the roof of the city's iconic Balmoral Hotel to promote a charity catwalk event.
Darius and fellow students Annabel and Alexandra were among the models taking part in the Ballantyne Cashmere Edinburgh fashion show that year, with organisers aiming to raise £100,000 for the Sick Kids hospital. The event also featured celebrity models, such as Olympic sprinter and Gladiators athlete Jenny Stout and pop singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor, who had been flying high in the charts at the time.
Later in 2001, Darius would wave farewell to his friends in the capital for a while. His now legendary Popstars audition performance of Britney Spears hit Baby One More Time proved incredibly popular with UK telly audiences.
Twelve months on, Darius continued his talent show success by finishing third in the first season of Pop Idol, subsequently rejecting Simon Cowell's offer of a record deal to sign with renowned British new wave producer Steve Lillywhite.
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Following the massive success of Darius's debut single Colourblind, which spent two weeks at the top of the charts in July 2002, the singer's visits to Edinburgh would become a little more sporadic.
Darius would briefly return to the capital to promote the self-penned hit, but sightings were otherwise rare.
On March 21, 2004, Darius was in Edinburgh to perform Flower of Scotland in front of a packed out Murrayfield Stadium for the Six Nations match between Scotland and France. While pre-match spirits were high for the kilted pop star, the general mood in the stadium would soon turn as the home team limped off the field in a 31-0 defeat.
With his pop success having peaked in the mid-noughties, Darius turned his hand to becoming a theatre star in London's West End. In 2007, he was back in the Scottish capital, appearing at The Playhouse for a run of musical smash Guys and Dolls.
It was announced on Tuesday, August 16, 2022, that Campbell Danesh had died a week earlier in his apartment in Rochester Minnesota.
The singer's family issued a statement, which read: "It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Darius Campbell Danesh. Darius was found unresponsive in bed in his apartment room in Rochester, Minnesota, on 11 August and was pronounced dead in the afternoon by the local medical examiners' office.
"The local police department have confirmed that there were no signs of intent or suspicious circumstances. The cause of his sudden death is unknown at this stage while medical examinations continue.
"We ask that you kindly respect our wishes for privacy at this time whilst we come to terms with the tragic loss of our son and brother."
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