Darius Danesh Campbell: Funeral for musician and TV star held near Glasgow - with friend Gerard Butler in attendance

The former Pop Idol contestant was found dead in his apartment in the United States on 16 August, his family announced.

Today, about 100 close family and friends of the singer attended his funeral at a church on the outskirts of Glasgow. The singer’s coffin was piped into the hearse as a lone piper player Caledonia. One of those in attendance was close friend Gerard Butler who posted an emotional tribute on his social media following the untimely death of his friend. He wrote: "I am devastated by the sudden passing of my dear friend Darius, a true brother in arms," he wrote.

"My thoughts and love go to his wonderful mum and dad Avril and Booth and his two brilliant brothers Aria and Cyrus. 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."

Other famous faces who shared tributes to the star last week included Rylan Clark-Neal, Radio 1 DJ Adele Roberts, BBC and ITV News journalist Duncan Golestani, Actor and comedian Sanjeev Bhaskar and Actor Matthew Marsden.

Following his success on Pop Idol, Darius released his debut single “colourblind” in 2002, with the song entering the UK singles chart at number one, staying at the top for two weeks and was certified silver.

Around two years later, Campbell released his debut album ‘Dive In’ which peaked at number six on the UK charts, and went on to record five UK top ten singles as well as two gold albums.

The singer also starred on the West End, playing the role of Billy Flynn in Chicago, as well as playing the lead role of Sky Masterson in the Olivier-award winning musical ‘Guys and Dolls’.

The Glasgow-born singer also portrayed the role of Rhett Butler in the theatrical version of ‘Gone With The Wind’, which is one of the highest grossing movies of all time.