Darius Campbell Danesh (19 August 1980 – 11 August 2022) was a Scottish singer-songwriter, actor and film producer. He first came to prominence known as Darius Danesh when he appeared in the first series of Popstars in 2001, and the 2002 inaugural series of the ITV talent contest Pop Idol.
Under the name Darius, he released two studio albums, Dive In (2002) and Live Twice (2004), with both reaching the top 10 on the albums charts in his native Scotland, and the top 40 in the UK Albums Chart. His debut single, "Colourblind", reached No. 1 in the UK singles chart in 2002. His next singles, "Rushes" and "Incredible (What I Meant to Say)", reached the top ten in Scotland and the United Kingdom in 2002 and 2003, respectively. Danesh performed the role of Billy Flynn in the West End production of Chicago in two runs of the musical. He played the lead role of Sky Masterson in the Olivier Award-winning Guys and Dolls, and the role of Rhett Butler in Trevor Nunn's theatrical adaptation of Gone with the Wind.
In 2010, he trained with tenor Rolando Villazón, won the ITV competition Popstar to Operastar and performed a duet with Villazón on The Impossible Dream. He made his operatic début at the age of 29, in the lead role of Escamillo, Carmen's lover in Carmen, at the O2 Arena with the Royal Philharmonic. The same year, he also starred in The History of the Big Bands tour, a show about the big band and swing era.
He returned to the West End playing the lead roles of Warden in From Here to Eternity The Musical in 2013, NIck Arnstein in Funny Girl 2015-2016, and Billy Flynn in the touring production of Chicago 2017.
He produced several films, including Imperium starring Daniel Radcliffe, Tomorrow, the documentary Fountain of Youth, and House Red starring Natasha Henstridge.
Campbell Danesh was born in Glasgow on 19 August 1980 to a Scottish mother, Avril Campbell, and an Iranian father, Booth Danesh (Persian: بوته دانش); his family live in Bearsden. He was the eldest of three boys. He attended Bearsden Primary School and the Glasgow Academy, before going on to study English Literature and Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh.
2001–2004: Pop Idol and Dive In
Danesh's professional career began with a non-singing role in the Scottish Opera's avant garde 1990s production of The Trojans. As a teenager, he then performed at Covent Garden Royal Opera House with the Scottish Opera in a production of Carmen.
As Darius Danesh, he first gained fame in 2001 after appearing on the British talent competition Popstars. A year later he was voted to the finals of the TV talent show, Pop Idol. He turned down Simon Cowell's record deal, then signed with producer Steve Lillywhite. In an interview to Daily Record, he said that he had not decided to drop the Campbell from his name, and that all was decided for him and that he should go by the name Darius Danesh.
The first single written by Danesh, "Colourblind", was released on 29 July 2002 and entered the UK singles chart at number 1, staying at the top of the charts for two weeks; it was certified silver. It became certified gold on 1 May 2020. His debut album, Dive In, was certified platinum in the UK in 2004, charting at number 6 on the UK Albums Chart during the competitive pre-Christmas sales period. He subsequently had five UK top ten singles.
He wrote all 12 songs on the Dive In album, and produced one of the tracks, "Better Than That", whilst collaborating with a number of other producers, such as The Misfits and The Matrix on the other tracks. Steve Lillywhite was executive producer on the album. Danesh, then performing as Darius Danesh, supported Shakira on her world tour and went on to complete his own sell-out UK Dive In tour.
The Dive In tour took place in April and May 2003. The fifteen dates scheduled for May expanded to twenty three dates on public demand.
2004–2008: Live Twice and other ventures
His book Sink or Swim, about the perils of the music business, was a Sunday Times best seller. He contributed to the War Child charity album with Coldplay and Oasis. He also headlined in India with Alanis Morissette. After receiving news that his father was diagnosed with terminal cancer, he wrote and dedicated his second studio album Live Twice to Dr Booth Danesh, who later recovered. In 2005, the album's title-track Live Twice became his fifth top ten single.
Danesh had two West End runs in Chicago during 2005–2006, and at 25, became the youngest actor to fill the role of Billy Flynn since the show first opened on Broadway in 1975. In 2007, after seeing Ewan McGregor in the role, he played the lead in Michael Grandage's Olivier Award-winning production of Guys and Dolls, starring as Sky Masterson. Later that year, he reprised his role of Billy Flynn for the 10th anniversary charity performance of Chicago in London, to benefit the charities Breast Cancer Haven and Breast Health Institute.
In 2008, he returned to London's West End to play Rhett Butler in Trevor Nunn's musical adaptation of Gone with the Wind.
2010–2015: Popstar to Operastar and theatre
In January and February 2010, Danesh won the UK's ITV1 talent show Popstar to Operastar, in which eight pop stars were trained to perform famous opera arias. He was mentored by tenor Rolando Villazón, with whom he went on to duet on the song "The Impossible Dream". In May 2010 he appeared as toreador Escamillo in Bizet's opera Carmen at The O2 Arena in London. At the age of 29, he assumed the lead role of Carmen's lover. The same year, he starred in The History of the Big Bands tour, a show about the Big Band and Swing Era, featuring the songs of Frank Sinatra and the music of the key musicians of the big band era, including music from Harry James, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, Count Basie, Woody Herman and Buddy Rich.