The musician and former member of the boy band One Direction died on Wednesday October 16 at the age of 31 in Argentina, Buenos Aires police announced.
According to a police statement, “Liam James Payne is deceased after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Palermo”, a district of the Argentine capital.
A few minutes after the announcement of the death of the British singer,
many fans and curious people gathered silently in front of the door of the “Casa Sur” hotel where the death was noted, under the surveillance of a dozen police officers.
On site, fans pay tribute to the English star. “I’m in shock, I can’t believe it. I live five blocks away and I thought I had to be there“, told AFP Martina Di Lalla, 23, who says she was a One Direction fan when she was a teenager.
Paris Hilton – “So upset”
“I have the impression that it’s a part of my adolescence that was lost” said Lena Duek, 21, saying the group’s melodies accompanied her from the ages of 12 to 16, and she hoped One Direction would get back together one day.
Liam Payne was with Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik et Harry Styles, one of the members of the boy band formed in 2010 and which has enjoyed dazzling success. The announcement in 2016 of a break in the group’s career, never formalized as a separation, upset millions of fans.
According to Billboard magazine, Liam Payne had attended a concert by ex-One Direction, Niall Horan, in Buenos Aires on October 2.
Reactions from personalities began to flood into social networks last night.
“So devastated by the news of Liam Payne’s passing. Love and condolences to his family and loved ones. RIP my friend,” wrote ex-model and singer Paris Hilton on X.
Alcohol problems
Born August 29, 1993 in Wolverhampton, England, Liam Payne is the author of several songs in One Direction’s discography. Like the other members of the group, Liam Payne had embarked on a
solo career.
His solo single, “Strip that Down”, reached number three on the UK charts and number ten on the US Billboard Top Songs chart. In December 2019 he released his first solo album “LP1”.
Last year, he announced that he was working on a second album and had just released a new single in March 2024.
In recent years, Liam Payne has openly discussed his alcoholism problems
and the difficulties associated with fame. In 2023, he published a video on his YouTube account explaining his problems with alcohol and his admission to a detoxification center.
An investigation into the causes of death has been opened.
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