One Direction stars Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson have paid tribute to their former band member Liam Payne, who died on 16 October aged 31 after falling from the third floor of a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The British musician, who shot to fame on The X Factor in 2010, was pronounced dead after police responded to an emergency callout to CasaSur Hotel.
Liam was on holiday in the Argentinian capital with his girlfriend Kate Cassidy where he was also seen attending a series of his former bandmate Niall Horan’s concerts.
The Wolverhampton-born star first auditioned for The X Factor in 2008 at the age of 14 singing Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me To The Moon, with judge Simon Cowell telling him to return to the ITV reality show at an older age.
He impressed the judges in 2010 by singing Michael Buble’s Cry Me A River before he was put with four other solo hopefuls at the boot camp stage of the competition – the group which later became One Direction.
© Kevin MazurAs the What Makes You Beautiful singer’s death sends shockwaves through the world, Liam’s former One Direction bandmates have shared heartbreaking tributes in response to the tragic news.
In a joint statement, the band said: “We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly. The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam.”
Liam’s bandmate, Louis, shared his own tribute. Alongside a photo of the pair together, he wrote: “I am beyond devastated to be writing this but yesterday I lost a brother. Liam was somebody I looked up to everyday, such a positive, funny, and kind soul. I first met Liam when he was 16 and I was 18, I was instantly amazed by his voice but more importantly as time went on I got a chance to see the kind brother I’d longed all my life for.
“Liam was an incredible song writer with a great sense of melody, we often spoke of getting back in the studio together to try and recreate the writing chemistry we had built up in the band. And for the record, Liam was in my opinion the most vital part of One Direction. His experience from a young age, his perfect pitch, his stage presence, his gift for writing. The list goes on. Thank you for shaping us Liam. A message to you Liam if you’re listening, I feel beyond lucky to have had you in my life but I’m really struggling with the idea of saying goodbye.
“I’m so grateful that we got even closer since the band, speaking on the phone for hours, reminiscing about all the thousands of amazing memories we had together is a luxury I thought I’d have with you for life. I would have loved to share the stage with you again but it wasn’t to be.I want you to know that if Bear ever needs me I will be the Uncle he needs in his life and tell him stories of how amazing his dad was. I wish I got chance to say goodbye and tell you one more time how much I loved you. Payno, my boy, one of my best friends, my brother, I love you mate. Sleep well X.”
Zayn later followed suit, sharing his own individual tribute: “Liam, I have found myself talking out loud to you, hoping you can hear me, I can’t help but think selfishly that there was so many more conversations for us to have in our lives,” he wrote alongside a throwback image of them both together. “I never got to thank you for supporting me through some of the most difficult times in my life.”
Liam’s relationship with his One Direction bandmates
In 2021, during a podcast appearance in which he spoke with YouTuber Logan Paul, the late One Direction star sparked rumours of a rift between himself and his former bandmates after making a slew of controversial comments and surprising revelations about his X Factor peers – inlcuding one that he was “thrown up a wall” by one of the boys.
© Jeff KravitzReflecting on his podcast appearance in a candid YouTube video, Liam admitted that he “didn’t recognise himself” and found the podcast “hard to watch back.” He added that all four of his bandmates, Harry, Niall, Louis and Zayn had reached out to him.
Despite announcing their extended hiatus in 2015, the One Direction boys remained close. 1D member Niall confirmed in a recent intervew the former bandmates “still talk”, whilst Harry echoed in a 2022 interview with Zayn Lowe that the boys will always have a “respect” and “deep love” for one another.
Shortly before he died, Liam was in the audience at Niall’s concert in Buenos Aires, sharing a photograph on his Snapchat of the pair being “reunited”.
Liam Payne’s rise to fame and career timeline
© NBC- 2008: Liam auditions for The X-Factor at 14 years old and is told to come back in two years by Simon Cowell.
- 2010: Liam returns to The X-Factor auditions and is placed in a group with Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Harry Styles, forming One Direction. The band place third in the competition.
- September 2011: One Direction’s debut single, ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ goes to number one in the UK and around the world. Since then, the band have had 14 top ten hits in the UK and four number-one albums on the Billboard 200.
- December 2011: Liam embarks on his first world tour with One Direction.
- November 2012: One Direction releases their second album, Take Me Home.
- August 2013: The band’s documentary film One Direction: This Is Us, hit the big screen, with thousands of fans supporting the film at its premiere in London’s Leicester Square.
- November 2013: One Direction releases their third album, Midnight Memories.
- December 2016: One Direction announce their indefinite hiatus.
- May 2017: Liam releases his debut single, ‘Strip That Down’, in May.
- December 2019: Liam releases his first and only album, LP1, which reaches the top 20 in the UK.
- March 2023: Liam releases a comeback single, ‘Teardrops’.
- October 2023: Reports that Liam’s second studio album has been put on hold.
