Heartbroken friends of Darius Campbell Danesh have marked his birthday by sharing a raft of unseen snaps of the late star.
The Scots singer would have turned 42 today, Friday, August 19.
High profile Scottish hairdresser Taylor Ferguson and his wife Anne were close pals of the former Pop Idol contestant and have been left devastated at the news of his death on August 11.
The couple and their staff have released a touching tribute by sharing some never-before-seen pictures and a heartwarming video of Darius singing Happy Birthday to Anne earlier this year.
Taylor wrote: “It's Darius' 42nd birthday today. We'd give anything to wish him Happy Birthday face to face. This little video that warms our hearts shows him singing Happy Birthday to Anne back in January. Ever the theatrical performer he sang his heart out to make Anne's day. Right back at you Darius...happy heavenly birthday sir. With lots of love. X”
In one photo a mischievous Darius can be seen pretending to be stealing from the till of the couple's Glasgow hair salon, while in another he is seen cosying up to salon floor manager Leanne Donovan.
In other pictures he’s seen cuddling up to shop manager Anne whilst another sees a group of his nearest and dearest at an after party following a concert he performed at the Glasgow Armadillo.
Taylor added on a separate post on Facebook: “To mark Darius' birthday today we dug out some of our favourite photos with Big D over the years. Happy memories of his time here in the salon having fun and giggles. Remembering the big welcome home banners we put up inside and outside the salon when he returned from the Pop Idol run. Gig after party time at the SEC Armadillo. Nights out in London. Great time with a great guy. We'll never forget him. X”
In the video they reshared from January of Darius' special rendition of Happy Birthday, the generous Pop Idol star can be seen in a flat cap and coat as he hugs a masked Anne and serenades her at the door to the salon after arriving laden with gifts for her.
The photos come after the couple paid tribute to Darius and revealed the date of his death coincided with the 20th anniversary of his first number one single Colourblind.
Taylor and his wife Anne admitted their 'hearts are broken' following the news of Darius’s shock death. The couple last saw the singer when he popped in for a hair cut in March this year - while his pal Gerard Butler also visited the salon.
Earlier this week we reported the pair told how they were close friends of the musician and actor, who even attended their son's wedding back in 2002, while Colourblind was UK Number 1.
Taylor said: “Devastated at the shocking news of the sudden death of our dearly loved friend Darius. Only 41. Our hearts are broken. We knew Darius from back in his Pop Idol days and he became a family friend.
“We celebrated our son and daughter-in-law's 20th wedding anniversary last Thursday. That date coincided with the 20th anniversary of Darius getting his first number one with Colourblind.
"Indeed Darius came to the wedding and all the guests toasted his chart success - and of course we danced to the track."
Darius' shocking death stunned the world after the star was found dead aged 41 in his Minnesota apartment on August 11.
His family announced the heartbreaking news in a statement on Tuesday that read: "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 have 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."
His family are currently awaiting the results of a toxicology report which could take as long as eight weeks.
Fans and celebrity friends of the star have been paying tribute, including his Pop Idol co-stars Gareth Gates, Will Young and Ant and Dec, as well as Simon Cowell and Gerard Butler. The Colourblind singer was good pals with his fellow Scots actor, and the two were even pictured enjoying a dog walk together just weeks before his death.
Following the news of Darius' death, his ex wife Natasha Henstridge, who he was married to for two years said in a statement she had "no words" to describe her devastation.
Canadian actress Natasha also shared a string of sweet photos of the pair in the now deleted post.
She captioned her post: "I have found the paradox that is you love until it hurts. there can be no more hurt- Only more love -Mother Theresa."
"There are no words Darius… only Love Love Love. Forever Janam."
Gerard Butler broke his silence following the shock death of his pal the next day. Alongside a snap of the pair smiling on Instagram, Gerard penned: "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."
The Greenland actor added: "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."
Pop Idol judge and music mogul Simon Cowell called Darius a “charismatic, funny and just a great person to be with” following the singer’s death. In a statement given to the PA news agency, former Pop Idol judge Cowell, 62, said: “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.”
Former Pop Idol judge Pete Waterman appeared on the ITV programme Good Morning Britain on Wednesday to describe Darius as a “true, true gentleman in every sense of the word”. He said: “He had a record career, then he was on the stage, then he took up opera, then he was making films. He was all over the place. It was quite incredible and he really was a fabulous person.”
Following his death, Colourblind has re-entered music charts and on Wednesday morning was listed in the first spot on the iTunes download chart.
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