Tributes pour in following death of One Direction’s Liam Payne
Former One Direction member Liam Payne passed away on October 16th, after falling from the third story of a hotel in Buenos Aires. Tributes are now pouring in across the world for the late pop star.
The sad news broke suddenly shortly after the event as it emerged that Payne, 31, had died. Reports from Argentinian media claimed that Payne’s body had been found in the courtyard of a hotel, with Alberto Crescenti, an emergency medical services director, explaining that the singer had suffered “serious injuries incompatible with life.”
He told Argentinian TV (via The Times), “At 17.04 we were alerted through 911 about a person who was in the inner courtyard of the Casa Azul hotel. A few minutes later [an] emergency team arrived and confirmed the death of this man who we later learned was from a musical group.”
Authorities have now shared a transcript of a 911 call to emergency services made shortly before Payne’s death, which sees the hotel manager ask for help due to “an aggressive man who could be under the effects of drugs and alcohol.”
Elsewhere in the call, the hotel manager tells the emergency services operator, “We need to send someone with urgency because I don’t know if the guest’s life is in danger because he is in a room with balcony, and we are afraid he could do something that threatens life.”
The hotel manager also said that Payne had been staying in the hotel for three days and that “he is breaking everything in the room”. The tragic death reportedly occurred around 5pm at local time on October 16th in Buenos Aires.
Payne had been open about his struggle with alcohol dependency throughout his career under the spotlight, although he claimed in 2023 that he was now sober.
Payne experienced a meteoric rise to success as a member of One Direction after appearing on The X Factor back in 2010. The singer had previously auditioned when he was just 14, before returning several years later, where he was placed in a boyband with Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson.
The boyband were incredibly popular, releasing five albums and several concert films, touring stadiums across the world, and even making the documentary, One Direction: This Is Us. The group spawned everything from action figures to perfume, taking the music industry by storm.
One Direction went on an indefinite hiatus in 2016, allowing the members to pursue solo careers. Payne released a solo album, LP1, in 2019. He shared a song, ‘Teardrops’, in March 2024, suggesting that he was working on new music.
Payne was also a father to Bear Payne, who was born in 2017 while the singer was in a relationship with former Girls Aloud member and X Factor judge Cheryl Cole.
Tributes to Liam Payne
His legion of fans have been sharing their condolences online, with many users describing their shock and upset at finding out the news. Additionally, many famous figures have taken to social media to express their grief, including X Factor host Dermot O’Leary, who wrote on Instagram, “I remember him as a 14-year-old turning up to audition on The X Factor, and blowing us away singing Sinatra. He just loved to sing.”
Harry Styles’ mother, Anne Twist, posted a tribute to Payne on Instagram, calling him “Just a boy.” Singer and songwriter Charlie Puth shared his memories of Payne online, writing, “He was one of the first major artists I got to work with. I cannot believe he is gone… I am so upset right now, may he rest in peace.”
At this stage, no statements have been released from those most closely associated with Payne, including his former One Direction bandmates, Cole, or his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, who had flown back to the United States from Argentina just two days before Payne’s death.
Olly Murs, who appeared on the X Factor the year before Payne, wrote: “Liam shared the same passions as me, the same dreams, so to see his life now end so young hits hard. I’m truly gutted and devastated for his family and of course his son Bear losing a dad.”
Meanwhile, other previous contestants, like Rylan Clark, posted on X/Twitter, “Extremely sad news. V tragic and so young. RIP Liam x.” Jedward also posted a tribute: “Sending strength to Cheryl and his son Bear, and all the One Direction family.”
The Wanted’s Max George posted: “Over the last few years I had the pleasure of getting to know him personally and spent some treasured time with him,” calling Payne’s death “absolutely devastating news.” He also claimed that he “supported me a lot personally after Tom [Parker] passed. I will never forget that.”
Oasis’ Liam Gallagher took to X/Twitter too. “Life is precious kids and you only get to do it once go easy,” he posted.
The Backstreet Boys official account shared: “Words can not express the emotions we are collectively feeling right now, and it seems like the rest of the world is in the same boat.”
Ronnie Wood took to Twitter/X to share his reaction: “I am shocked and saddened to hear of the death of Liam Payne. It was a pleasure to work with him on our X Factor performance. God bless Liam, thinking of all his loved ones. He will be dearly missed.”
Furthermore, Payne’s beloved West Bromwich Albion Football Club wrote: “We’re shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Baggies fan and musician, Liam Payne. Our thoughts are with Liam’s family, friends and loved ones at this tragic time.”
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