Gerard Butler has said he is “devastated” after the sudden death of his “brother in arms” Darius Campbell Danesh.
The Scottish singer-songwriter and actor, whose family announced his death in the US aged 41 on Tuesday, was pictured with Butler in Malibu recently. Butler shared a photo on Instagram of the pair together smiling, a caption for which read: “I am devastated by the sudden passing of my dear friend Darius, a true brother in arms.
“My thoughts and love go to his wonderful mum and dad Avril and Booth and his two brilliant brothers Aria and Cyrus. To those lucky enough to have met Darius for more than a few minutes, they were deeply moved by his infectious laugh and barely containable zest for life.
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“He was always armed with a smile, a booming voice, and a genuinely warm embrace that few could resist-nor would they want to!!! He was an incredible talent, a singer whose voice touched your soul and an actor with great presence.
“But, most importantly, he had the heart of a lion. It was bigger and brighter than the sun and an energy so contagious he could light up a room in seconds.”
The singer was known as Darius Danesh when he first competed on the ITV show Popstars in 2001. He also appeared on the first series of Pop Idol, coming third behind Gareth Gates and series winner Will Young.
Gerard, 51, who is best known for films such as 300, Law Abiding Citizen and Olympus Has Fallen, said: “Our boy Darius was always constant and unwavering in his passion for life.
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“But a bigger constant was his dream to inspire others to better themselves. He talked the talk but boy, did he walk the walk.
“He had such purity of thought, a deep wisdom and constant gratitude for people, for life, a compassion towards all. His hilarious self-deprecating sense of humor allowed him to stay humble – something he valued deeply.
“Darius’ undying commitment to being of service to individuals - his family, his friends (none more so than me) and to the world at large made him the perfect friend. He led by example but he was also a teacher, as he pushed those he loved to be the best possible versions of themselves.”
Darius’ family said in a statement he was “found unresponsive in bed in his apartment room in Rochester, Minnesota, on August 11 and was pronounced dead in the afternoon by the local medical examiners’ office.” Local police confirmed there were “no signs of intent or suspicious circumstances,” with the cause of his death unknown at this stage, the family added.
Former Pop Idol judges Simon Cowell, Pete Waterman and the runner-up from the first series, Gareth Gates, also paid tribute to Darius following the news. His debut single, Colourblind, was released in July 2002 and went straight to number one, marking the start of a run of top 10 releases.
Since his death the song has re-entered music charts and on Wednesday morning was in top spot on the iTunes download chart.
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