Funeral held for former Pop Idol star Darius Campbell Danesh

The funeral of Scottish Pop Idol contestant and theatre star Darius Campbell Danesh has been held near Glasgow.

The 41-year-old was found dead in his apartment in Rochester, Minnesota, on Tuesday, August 11.

A private service for family and friends was held at Bearsden Cross Parish Church in the singer’s hometown on Thursday.

Close friend Gerard Butler paid a heartfelt tribute to his “brother in arms” following his death.

He described him as an “incredible talent” who had the “heart of a lion”.

In a post on his Instagram, the actor wrote: “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.

“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.”

Butler said that Danesh had an “undying commitment” to being of service to other people.

He said that the singer led by example, as well as pushing those he loved to be the best versions of themselves.

He continued: “Our boy Darius was always constant and unwavering in his passion for life. 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.

Getty Images

“His hilarious self-deprecating sense of humor (he was funny as s***) 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.”

Butler promised that he would “celebrate life and its every beautiful moment” going forward.

“The universe unfolds in ways we may not agree with or even understand,” he said.

“Somewhere in there I believe there is, or will be, some meaning in why he left us so early.

“If it was nothing more than teaching us to live with that open heart, putting others first and never taking ourselves too seriously as we learn to traverse this wonky world we live in then, that might be enough.

“But something tells me there will be way more waves created by our boy Darius further down the line. My heart aches heavily.

“But going forward, I will beat my drum louder and celebrate life and its every beautiful moment because my brother showed me that was a pretty awesome way to go about it.”