Darius Campbell Danesh proved he was pop music’s most down-to-earth star on a special evening at Dundee’s Wellgate Centre.
Darius, who has died aged 41, stayed behind to pose for pictures and sign autographs for everyone when he appeared at Woolworths in October 2004.
Store staff were stunned by the demand to meet the star, who was signing copies of his new single, Kinda Love, and album, Live Twice, from 5pm until 7pm.
Striding in wearing a casual hoodie and jeans, Darius was polite and well-mannered and immediately had his army of devoted fans eating out of his hands.
“This is a real coup for the store and for Dundee,” said Woolworths manager David Duncan.
“Darius is one of the hottest pop talents in the UK and because of Popstars and Pop Idol he is a well-known star.”
Darius was born in Glasgow to a Scottish mother and Iranian father, Dr Booth Danesh, a gastroenterologist, who was previously a doctor in Dundee.
He first got noticed when he was booted off ITV1’s Popstars after his eccentric rendition of Baby One More Time by Britney Spears.
He came back, minus the pony-tail and beard – and without the attitude – for Pop Idol, which showcased his talents and groomed him to become a major star.
Darius was told to bring out a cover version of the Tom Jones song It’s Not Unusual as his first single by the Pop Idol judges.
It would have been a guaranteed Number 1 hit but he turned down Simon Cowell because he wanted to write and record his own music.
Darius waited months until the Pop Idol fuss died down and released Colourblind, which hit Number 1 in August 2002!
That kind of gumption is rare.
The Glasgow singer had five Top 10 singles, two gold albums, and became the toast of the London West End stage, leading shows such as Chicago and Guys And Dolls.
There was even time to write a memoir that became a Sunday Times bestseller.
In 2005 he joined his brother Cyrus during the Dressed to Kilt fashion show in New York, which was hosting a week of events to celebrate all things Scottish to commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320.
He was named after an ancient king of Persia, but Darius was so proud to be Scottish, he changed his surname from Danesh to Campbell in tribute to his Scottish grandad.
Just when his fans thought that he’d settle for a life on stage, he knocked a team of celeb singers on their arias by winning TV’s Popstar To Operastar in 2010, before going all Las Vegas Rat Pack with his new touring show, The History Of The Big Bands.
“I have my grandfather – the Campbell side of the family – to thank for this idea,” said Darius.
“I was home at my parent’s house in Glasgow, and grandad was in one room listening to big band music and my wee brother was in another room listening to Michael Buble.
“There was a huge gap in generations, but they were pretty much enjoying the same music and that gave me the idea of setting up a classic big band production with a lead singer – me!
“There’s this saying, it don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing, and I pretty much agree with that.”
Darius went on an incredible journey – from tryer to survivor to established success story – quite unlike any we’ve seen in TV talent show history.
Simon Cowell, who was a judge on Pop Idol, described him as “charismatic, funny and just a great person to be with” following his death on August 11.
He will never be forgotten by his fans in Dundee.
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