Pop Idol's Darius Campbell Danesh was laid to rest in an intimate funeral today.
His loved ones gathered at Bearsden Cross Parish Church on the outskirts of his hometown in Glasgow to say their final goodbyes. Hollywood actor Gerard Butler was among mourners paying their respects to the singer, as just 100 people were in attendance.
The Mirror reported the understated funeral was worlds away from Darius' Los Angeles lifestyle and glittering West End career on stage. His loved ones opted to say their final goodbye in an intimate and special ceremony.
READ MORE: Hospital mystery as investigation into Darius Danesh's death continues
The funeral comes two weeks after Darius was found dead in his Minnesota apartment in the US on August 11, days before his 42nd birthday. His cause of death remains unknown.
The musical theatre star's coffin was piped into the hearse while a lone piper played one of his favourite songs, Caledonia, it has been reported. While the attendance remained just for Darius' closest friends and family, the singer had clearly touched a lot of people in his short life as a number of well known figures took to social media to pay tribute.
Ahead of the funeral, comedian Omid Djalili said: "Funeral today in Bearsden, Glasgow for Darius Campbell Danesh. Such a lovely talented man gone way too soon.
"People were always taken aback by how much of a true gentleman he was. God bless his soul. Rest in peace my brother."
Darius' friend, Phones 4U boss John Cauldwell, shared a sweet video of the popstar singing to his housebound mum, who was a huge fan, writing "RIPDarius". John had previously written that Darius had flown out to perform at his mother's funeral four months ago.
Gerard, 52, said he was devastated by the passing of his "dear friend", and described him as a "true brother in arms", in a tribute on Instagram earlier this month. He wrote: "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."
Darius was last pictured with London Has Fallen star Gerard in Malibu as he took a dog for a walk, just weeks before he died. The friends were photographed barefoot as they hung out near Gerard's home.
Pop idol Simon Cowell also paid tribute to the singer, writing: "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."
The singer-songwriter and actor - who was known as Darius Danesh when he made his first bid for fame in ITV show Popstars in 2001 - also appeared on the first Pop Idol, which was won by Will Young.
He went on to have a successful stage career, appearing in Chicago as Billy Flynn in two runs of the production, as well as Guys And Dolls, and as Rhett Butler in Gone With The Wind. He was also an ambassador for The Prince's Trust, a charity which helps disadvantaged young people.
His work with the trust stretched back to his Pop Idol days when a gig in 2002 helped raise £300,000 for the charity. Darius also attended a charity event for The Prince’s Trust Scotland in 2015 during which items and events were auctioned, including a dinner with Tilda Swinton.
The auction raised £1.6m. He also supported Cancer Research UK after both his parents were diagnosed with caner, but survived.
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