Simon Cowell's Heartfelt Tribute To Singer Darius Campbell Danesh Following Tragic Death

'Britain's Got Talent' judge Simon Cowell paid tribute to singer Darius Campbell Danesh following the news of his death. In a recent statement, his family shocked fans by confirming that the 41-year-old was found dead in his apartment.

Cowell and Danesh first met on "Pop Idol" when the music mogul was a judge, and the talented singer finished in third place. He also got fans' attention after turning down Cowell's rare record deal offer. However, the two have been friends since then.

Cowell was one of many devastated and shocked by the announcement of Danesh's death. He penned a tribute to the singer whom he called a great person to be with. He also revealed that they recently reunited at an X Factor event.

Keep reading to find out more.

Danesh's family announced his death in a statement to the press and fans. It 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 and was pronounced dead in the afternoon by the local medical examiners' office."

Shortly after the announcement of Danesh's death, Cowell put out a tribute to Mail Online. The 62-year-old recalled meeting Danesh two decades ago. He also confirmed that they got to know each other "really well."

He said, "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." Cowell also revealed that Danesh had visited him in Malibu to attend the X Factor taping, where they bonded for one last time.

During Cowell's many years as a judge on several singing competitions, he has hardly ever offered a record deal to a contestant that lost in the competition. Danesh was one of the few who received that offer, and he stunned Cowell and his fans when he rejected it.

Danesh claimed at the time that it was an "obvious choice" to make. He explained his reasons in a statement to Hello: "'When Simon Cowell offered me a contract, and I turned it down, it seemed like the obvious thing to do. I understand why people thought I was mad to do it, but if I hadn't, I wouldn't have a number one with Colourblind."

He also insisted that he would have been a nobody. "I would just have been doing covers, then nobody would have heard of me ever again." He was also very proud of his choice to do things on his own terms. "So lucky to be able to do what I love without having to beat to the drum of having someone else telling you what to wear and how to act."

Following the announcement of Danesh's death, his former "Pop Idol" fellow contestant Gareth Gates also paid a touching tribute to him. He wrote, "I can't quite believe the news of my dear friend Darius passing. I'm heartbroken. Darius took me under his wing during our time in Pop Idol, like a big brother; always looking out for me and for that, I thank you my friend."

"I will miss our chats, Gates continued, "He was one of the most beautiful, intelligent and gentle souls I was lucky enough to know, a soul that lit up every room. Goodbye, my friend. Forever in my heart." Other celebrities like Adele Roberts, Lorraine Kelly, Rylan, Jessica Pietersen, and Michelle Heaton also took to social media to express their sadness.

Danesh released his debut single "Colourblind" in 2002, which topped many music charts, and then eight years later, he competed on "Pop Idol." After finishing third on the show, he won the ITV show "Popstar To Operastar," which began his career in opera.

He then landed his first role as Toreador Escamillo in "Carmen," the first-ever opera at London's O2 Arena at the time. While on the show, he gathered some attention, many of which came covering singer Britney Spear's "Hit Me Baby One More Time."

Danesh had several cameos in the plays "Gone With The Wind," "Guys And Dolls" and "West End." He also worked as a co-executive director on the thriller films "Imperium" in 2016 and "Tomorrow" in 2018.