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Gerard Butler pays tribute to 'dear friend' Darius Danesh Campbell following tragic death
19 August 2022, 13:55
Gerard Butler called the Pop Idol star a 'true brother in arms' in an emotional message.
Gerard Butler, 52, has paid tribute to his 'dear friend' Darius Danesh Campbell following the Colourblind singer's tragic death.
Darius' family announced his death earlier this week, revealing that the Pop Idol star was found unresponsive in bed in his apartment in Minnesota.
They said that there were "no signs of intent or suspicious circumstances" before adding that his cause of death is currently unknown.
Most recently, Darius' close friend and actor Gerard Butler has spoken out about the 41-year-old's passing.
Gerard, best known for starring in flicks such as P.S I Love You, The Phantom of the Opera and 300, said that his "heart is aching" following Darius' death.
In a statement shared on his Instagram page, he 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."
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. His hilarious self-deprecating sense of humor (he was funny as shit) 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.
"The universe unfolds in ways we may not agree with or even understand. 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."
Darius first rose to fame on singing competition Pop Idol in 2002 where he came third to runner-up Gareth Gates and winner Will Young.
He went on to release his hit UK number one track, Colourblind, followed by an album, Dive In.
Darius also had a career in theatre, appearing in two West End runs of Chicago, where he played Billy Flynn.
In 2007, he took on the role of Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls and a year later played Rhett Butler in Sir Trevor Nunn's musical adaptation of Gone with the Wind.
