Born Darius Campbell Danesh on August 19th, 1980 in Glasgow to a Scottish mother and Iranian father, the late actor, producer and popstar known professionally as Darius was one of the UK's first reality TV stars who rose to fame after appearing on the first series of iconic show Popstars in 2001 and the first-ever series of ITV talent contest Pop Idol the following year. Capturing the hearts of the nation, he was quickly propelled into the realm of celebrity, and signed with producer Steve Lillywhite. He kicked his solo career into gear with a breakthrough single, "Colourblind," which shot to the top of the UK singles chart and became his most well-known track. His debut self-penned studio album, Dive In, followed, which reached the UK top 40 along with his second LP Live Twice (2004), both released under the Darius moniker. He went on to pursue a career on the stage, becoming a West End star with key appearances in musicals like Chicago and the Olivier Award-winning Guys and Dolls. At 25, he became the youngest actor to fill the role of Billy Flynn in Chicago since the show first opened on Broadway in 1975. Darius spent the next decade and a half working in theatre, also picking up several TV roles, including a role in the 2009 BBC show Hotel Babylon as Gennaro Fazio, an Italian magazine editor. On August 11th, 2022, Darius was found unresponsive in his apartment in Rochester, Minnesota. His family reported no suspicious circumstances or signs of intent surrounding his death. In the week following his death, Darius's debut single "Colourblind" charted at number two on the UK Official Singles chart.
![Janay's Interlude (feat. Naomi J) [Remix]](https://cdn-images.dzcdn.net/images/cover/cfd0d38992f9322f924fffd6df1da5b4/120x120-000000-80-0-0.jpg)
