Former One Direction band member Liam Payne passed away at the age of 31 on October 16.
The singer was staying at Casa Sur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, where he was pronounced dead on the scene due to “polytrauma” and “internal and external hemorrhage,” according to USA Today.
Liam Payne auditioned for X Factor at the age of 14.
When he and four other contestants around his age were set to be eliminated, the X Factor judges—Simon Cowell, Nicole Scherzinger, and Louis Walsh—had the idea of putting them into a group to continue the competition.
As the band One Direction, Payne, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson placed third in the series. Following their successful run on the show, they signed with Cowell’s record label, Syco Records.
One Direction went on to become one of the best-selling boy bands in history with hits that included “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Live While We’re Young,” “Best Song Ever,” “Story of My Life,” and “Drag Me Down.”
One Direction went on an indefinite hiatus in 2016.
Malik left the group in 2015 and the group was put on pause just one year later. The band always left the door open for a reunion, specially using the verbiage “indefinite hiatus,” so fans were hopeful it would happen sooner rather than later.
Their last release was their November 2015 album Made In The A.M., their only album without Malik. That album included the hits “Drag Me Down,” “Perfect,” and “History.”
Following the band’s hiatus, Payne signed with Republic Records and released his first solo single, “Strip That Down,” in 2017. In December 2019, he released his debut solo album titled LP1.
Family and friends react to Payne’s death.
On October 17, Malik, Tomlinson, Horan, and Styles released a joint statement on the One Direction official social media pages, and then they each shared their own emotional statements.
Lots of celebrities also paid tribute, including Simon Cowell.
“You never know how you really feel about someone until a moment like this happens,” Cowell wrote. “Liam, I am truly devastated. Heartbroken. And I feel empty. And I want you to know how much love and respect I have for you. Every tear I have shed is a memory of you.”
Cowell wrote about the last time he saw Payne a year ago and they just sat and talked. Payne was so proud to be a dad to his now-seven-year-old son, Bear. The talent show judge said that Bear has the same sparkle in his eye that Payne had.
“I always thought of the 5 of you as brothers. And reading their messages today I believe you were,” he wrote.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Payne’s friends and family. Read Cowell’s full statement below.