with thanks to Claire for posting this on .net

 

TO paraphrase his own pop idol, Frank Sinatra, Darius Danesh has done it his way.

 

Called 'corny' by that nasty Simon Cowell, and laughed off the Popstars stage for his execution of Britney Spears' Hit Me Baby One More Time, the former Edinburgh University literature student has forged successes to silence even his staunchest critics.

 

Never one to know when he is beaten, the bold singer once famously declared that he would have a No1 single and hit album no matter what people thought of him.

 

And just a year after his Popstars debacle, he proved the doubters wrong when he struggled through to third place on Pop Idol, despite Cowell's incessant criticism.

 

Since then, he has had five top-ten hits, a best-selling book, owns homes in LA and London and his current girlfriend is stunning model-turned-Hollywood actress Natasha Henstridge.

 

In 2005, Danesh was the youngest person ever to be cast as Billy Flynn in the West End production of Chicago, and he is currently starring as Sky Masterson in the Donmar's multi-Olivier Award-winning production of Guys And Dolls, which this week stopped off at the Edinburgh Playhouse for a two-week run.

 

Not bad going, you'll agree, for a young man who had to endure so much ridicule early in his career.

 

Now 26, it is quite clear that Danesh has grown up. The goatee beard and ponytail have long since disappeared, and so has the unrelenting ego - the arrogance, the cheesiness that seemed to rub people up the wrong way.

 

In person, it is very hard to dislike the guy. He is polite to a fault - he apologises twice for arriving 20 minutes late for the interview - charming, and extremely literate.

 

His army of female fans will also be pleased to note that he is just as handsome in the flesh.

 

That said, it took a lot more than a trip to the barber's and some lessons in humility to see the Glaswegian singer go from national joke to Britain's favourite comeback kid.

 

As he readily admits, he required an enormous amount of luck and self-belief to get through his reality TV experience, those dark days between Popstars and Pop Idol when his career appeared to be over before it had even got going.

 

"It's amazing, it seems like just the other day that I was auditioning [for Popstars], because my memories of things are still so vivid," he explains.

 

"I was very lucky when the public gave me a second chance, and then, of course, my first single, Colourblind, made it to number one.

 

"I remember it knocked George Michael, Coldplay and Britney off top spot, and it was No 1 in the airplay charts and on the MTV charts. It was all so much, so quickly.

 

"It was very surreal," he continues, flashing those trademark pearly whites. "It felt as if all my dreams were coming true, and I was grateful to have had the chance to show that I was a singer-songwriter who wanted to do something original."

 

Following his third-place finish on Pop Idol, the plucky Scot returned Cowell's insult when he bravely rejected the multi-millionaire record producer's offer of a £1 million contract.

 

The music mogul had insisted he release an album of covers, but the strong-minded Danesh was determined to release his own material.

 

He then sent a self-composed track to Steve Lillywhite, the Grammy-winning U2 producer, in the hope of creating something original. Lillywhite promptly signed him to a five-album deal.

 

In the summer of 2002, Colourblind became Danesh's first No 1 single and that Christmas, his self-penned album Dive In went platinum.

 

"Of course, the money offered to me by Simon Cowell was enticing," recalls Danesh, who admits he was tempted, albeit temporarily.

 

"When you're a student and broke, having spent all the money you have on demos of songs, who wouldn't be tempted?

 

"But I wanted artistic freedom. I didn't want to be at the mercy of a marketing executive who would tell me what to be and what to do and what to sing.

 

"My stubbornness pulled me through, and it's something that, when I look at it in the long term, has been a really wonderful way of forming a friendship with Simon."

 

Revealing that Cowell has since told him he respects the decision to go it alone, Danesh continues: "I met Simon recently in LA and we had a chat and a wee laugh about it.

 

"He says that he's forgiven me now for not signing with him, and I told him that I've only ever felt grateful for his criticism, as it spurred me on to want to do well more than ever."

 

For all the cutting remarks he makes, Danesh reveals that Cowell is a decent bloke. "He's a very honest man and I'm now really glad to be able to call him a friend," he says.

 

Unfortunately, just as Danesh was beginning to forge a successful solo career, his father fell ill with cancer, which had a devastating effect.

 

He describes that time as "dark", admitting that he felt guilty about not achieving the hopes that his father, a gastroenterologist and inventor of the first lung and kidney machine for premature babies, had for him to become a doctor.

 

"I don't feel that anymore," he admits, "but for a time I did feel guilty that my parents had gone through such incredible hardships to give me such a good upbringing and education.

 

"You know, my mum came from a humble family in Greenock and endured a violent childhood with two parents who were both alcoholics.

 

"As for my father, he survived the Persian revolution, overcame incredible odds to come to this country, and with nothing but his brain he managed to train himself and study. I owe everything to my parents."

 

Incredibly, his father made a full recovery, and the whole experience has given Danesh a new perspective on life.

 

"I feel like I achieved more facing the death of my father with good grace than I ever have in my professional career," he says.

 

"I feel overwhelmed and lucky in that, although my dad faced death, he's now back in good health. Nothing matters more to me."

 

But for the moment, Danesh is relishing the challenge that the role of Sky Masterson brings.

 

"The dancing has been the biggest challenge for me," he laughs. "I've had all these new dance moves to learn that I never even knew were in me. But I've nailed them now."

 

He clearly loves being on the stage, too. "I think as an actor you have to find those attributes you can most identify with within the character you are playing," he says.

 

"For me, it's Sky's fearlessness and sense of adventure that I identify with most - I reckon these are things that my parents would say about me."

 

• Guys And Dolls, Edinburgh Playhouse, Greenside Place, until June 23 (not Sunday), 7.30pm (matinee 2.30pm), £12-£37.50, 0870-606 3424

 

Danesh gets knocked down, but he gets up again

EARLY YEARS

 

Darius Danesh was born on August 19, 1980, in Glasgow. Both his parents are doctors, and he has two brothers, Aria and Cyrus. All three have names rooted in their Persian heritage, the basic translation of Darius is 'good man' and his surname Danesh translates as 'knowledge'.

 

POPSTARS

 

The first of its kind, Popstars was the original modern TV talent search and was shown on ITV in 2001. Danesh turned up with his guitar, only to be told no instruments would be allowed. He'd been led to believe it was a solo audition, but the judges were trying to make a band of five people. Despite this, he carried on to gain experience in the music industry.

 

POP IDOL

 

This was the next TV talent search, this time it was to find a solo singer voted for by the public. The winner would get a record deal with BMG Records. Danesh was unsure whether to enter for Pop Idol, his family didn't want him to put himself through all that heartache again. He went on to finish third.

 

MERCURY RISING

 

Danesh signed a five-album deal with Mercury Records in May 2002. Released on July 29, 2002, Colourblind became his first No 1 single, staying at the top of the charts for two weeks. It sold a remarkable 112,000 copies in its first week, and was awarded Silver status with sales standing at over 300,000 in the UK alone. That Christmas his self-penned album Dive In went platinum.

 

LIVE TWICE

 

After receiving news that his father was diagnosed with cancer, Danesh wrote and dedicated his second studio album to Dr Booth Danesh, the man he calls his "hero". In 2005, the album's title-track became the singer's fifth Top Ten single. Amazingly, father Booth not only lived to see his son perform it at the Royal Albert Hall, but fought and beat his cancer into remission, echoing the song's lyrics.

 

CHICAGO

 

2005 and 2006 saw Danesh celebrate a five- month sell-out West End run in the musical Chicago and at 25, he officially became the youngest actor ever to fill the role of Billy Flynn since the show first opened on Broadway in 1975. He appeared in 121 shows without missing one performance.

 

GUYS AND DOLLS

 

Danesh is currently appearing as Sky Masterson in the UK tour of the musical Guys And Dolls. After his stint in the smash-hit musical he will begin work on his third studio album.

Thanks, pip.

good isnt it!!

 

Like I said in another thread, there's a Darius love-in at the Scotsman's offices this week. :dance: :wub:

Great interview but!!! as Baytree says for this week!!

Time will tell but for now, I think perhaps the change in attitude was due to the fact that he was doing something which was culturally acceptable for their broadsheet, and of course, that it was blindingly obvious that despite being very young and very tall, he nailed the part.

 

If he hadn't been absolutely terrific, they'd have completely savaged him on the basis that he had appeared in those high profile TV reality shows and was novelty casting.

 

That he could hold his own in a brilliant cast of experienced actors and MT performers must have come as a bit of a surprise to many people not just the critics from the Scotsman.