Scots star Darius’s death is ruled an accident as family thank fans for ‘love’
THE family of former Pop Idol star Darius Campbell Danesh yesterday said that he was “suffering from chronic neck pain following a car accident in 2010”, as they thanked everyone for their “love and kindness” following his death.
The singer and actor, who hailed from Glasgow, was found dead in his US apartment, in Rochester, Minnesota, last month at the age of 41.
It emerged earlier yesterday that the singer died from “inhalation of chloroethane”, the Southern Minnesota Regional Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed, with his death ruled an accident by the medical examiner.
Post-mortem examination documents listed “toxic effects of chloroethane” as well as “suffocation” as having contributed to his death.
A statement from his family said: “The results of medical examinations have confirmed that Darius’s death was an accident caused by chloroethane, which is used to treat pain and that tragically led to respiratory arrest.
“Darius was suffering from chronic neck pain following a car accident in 2010.
“We would like to thank everyone for their love and kindness, and ask that the family’s privacy is maintained during this difficult time.”
In 2010, Danesh Campbell spoke to Hello! magazine about the car crash in which he broke his neck. The singer-songwriter had been a passenger in a Porsche when it hit a wall at 70mph after skidding on oil during a holiday in the Costa del Sol, Spain.
The star, who was known as Darius Danesh when he made his first bid for fame in ITV show Popstars in 2001, also appeared in the first series of Pop Idol, which was won by Will Young.
Both Young and fellow Pop Idol contestant Gareth Gates paid tribute to him following his death, describing him as “driven, courageous and gentle”.
Music mogul Simon Cowell, who Danesh Campbell turned down for a record deal after his time on the talent show, also paid tribute to the singer, as did Hollywood actor Gerard Butler.
The pair were close friends and were pictured together in Malibu shortly before the singer’s death.
In his own tribute to Campbell Danesh, who also won the series Popstar to Operastar, Butler wrote that he had a “barely containable zest for life” and the “heart of a lion”.
“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 wrote.
“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.”
Campbell Danesh’s debut single, Colourblind, was released in July 2002 and went straight to number one, marking the start of a run of top 10 releases.
Later in his career, he starred in the West End playing leading roles such as Billy Flynn in Chicago and Rhett Butler in Sir Trevor Nunn’s adaptation of Gone With The Wind.
Following his death the song re-entered music charts and several days later took the top spot on the iTunes download chart.
Campbell Danesh’s family said in a statement in August that 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”.