Darius Campbell’s family has paid tribute to the “open-hearted” and “incredibly caring” singer, following the release of new information about his death.
The former Pop Idol performer was found dead in his US apartment, in Rochester, Minnesota, in August 2022, at the age of 41.
A police department report on the cause of his sudden death has now been finalised, and in a statement issued to The Scotsman, his family spoke of their “great sadness”.
Darius had been suffering from chronic pain after a car accident left him with a broken neck in 2010. He was then in another accident in 2021, and his pain had been “getting worse” in the weeks before his death.
“He had taken pain medication, marijuana and chloroethane to manage the intensity of the pain prior to his death,” his family said.
“The night before Darius passed, he had dinner with close friends, who reported that, ‘Darius was in a lot of pain, but he was in good spirits when he was with us’.
“They stayed together until the early hours of the morning and made plans to meet the following day. When Darius did not show up and could not be reached, the hotel staff were asked to check on him.”
Staff then found him unresponsive in bed after he “inhaled painkiller chloroethane using a bag, which led to respiratory arrest”. His heart was twice the expected size, medical reports stated.
The family continued: “We will always remember Darius for his open-hearted warmth, generosity of spirit and the way he touched so many people’s hearts and minds.
“He was an incredibly loving, caring and supportive son, brother and friend. His spirit of love and light is still with us all.
“We would like to thank everyone for their continued support and kindness in what has been a very difficult year.”
They then asked for privacy as they “continue with the healing process.”
Darius’s death was ruled as accidental last September.
Back in 2010, Darius was on holiday in Spain when the car he was travelling in hit a wall at 70mph after skidding on oil.
He said shortly after the accident that he felt like the “luckiest man alive” as a difference of three millimetres could have left him unable to walk, or possibly killed him.
Darius initially rose to fame on the reality show Popstars in 2000, which led to the formation of the pop group Hear’Say.
The following year, he auditioned for Pop Idol, where he made it to the final three alongside Will Young and Gareth Gates.
He then embarked on a successful music career, releasing the number-one hit Colourblind and a string of top 10s including Rushes, Incredible, Kinda Love and Live Twice.