Pop Idol icon Darius Campbell Danesh died from unknown causes after he was found unresponsive in his bed. The singer was age forty-one and died in Rochester, Minnesota, on August 11, 2022. Now, thousands mourn the loss of the singer, including music mogul Simon Cowell who led the tributes to the deceased singer after his death was announced to the world in August.
Although police have not yet released the cause of the singer’s death, they believe there was no foul play involved. After a brief investigation, the officers of the law said that there were “no signs of intent or suspicious circumstances” regarding the death of Darius Campbell Danesh.
Cowell and Danesh first met after the younger singer finished third place in the 2002 competition for Pop Idol. Cowell, now 63, released his tribute to the young singer on the day exactly twenty years after Danesh released his chart-topping hit Colorblind in 2002.
Although Danesh turned down a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with Simon Cowell via a record deal, the two remained close friends.
Darius previously told Hello: “When Simon Cowell offered me a contract, and I turned it down, it seemed like the obvious thing to do. I understand why people thought I was mad to do it, but if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have a number one with Colourblind. I would just have been doing covers, and then nobody would have heard of me ever again. I’m so lucky to be able to do what I love without having to beat to the drum of having someone else telling you what to wear and how to act.”
Danesh had recently attended an X-Factor party and taping event, which Cowell also attended. Danesh even took a visit to Simon Cowell’s Malibu home after the event to hang with the music mogul and get to know him even better and talk business.
Simon told MailOnline: “I first saw Darius on television over 20 years ago, and I got to know him really well. He was charismatic, funny, and just a great person to be with. His passing, for someone so young, is an absolute tragedy, and my heart goes out to his family and friends.”
Only weeks before his death, Danesh was slated to join other Pop Idol stars for a reunion tour. He was “excited” for the big comeback and had every reason to live.
Danesh became famous after his appearance on British TV because of the quirky performance of Britney Spears’s hit song Baby One More Time. Danesh, who is from Scottland, also had a successful theater career in addition to his music industry experience.
A family statement said: “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 August 11 and was pronounced dead in the afternoon by the local medical examiner’s office. The local police department has 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.”