Amersham, England
CNN
—
Liam Payne’s family, friends and former bandmates have come together to pay tribute to the British singer at his funeral in England on Wednesday, just over a month after the One Direction star died aged 31 in Argentina.
His former bandmates, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson, attended the service at St. Mary’s Church in the town of Amersham, northwest of London. The church was decorated with white roses and candle holders.
Each of Payne’s former bandmates trickled into the venue on Wednesday, where several dozen fans and onlookers lined a quaint street in the picturesque town.
Just after 1 p.m. local time (8 a.m. ET), a horse-drawn carriage moved into view, carrying Payne’s casket. The late singer’s mother wept and his father stood stoically, watching as their son’s coffin was removed from the hearse and walked inside.
Payne died on October 16 after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Payne had alcohol, cocaine, and a prescription antidepressant in his system, according to the country’s public prosecutor’s office, which launched an investigation. Three people are facing preliminary charges for crimes related to his death.
The musician spoke publicly about his challenges with substance abuse and his mental health. In the summer of 2023, he said he was marking six months of sobriety after completing treatment in a US facility. Later that year, he delayed his tour after suffering a kidney infection.
He is survived by his 7-year-old son, Bear, whom he shared with singer Cheryl Tweedy. The couple confirmed they had split in 2018 but continued to co-parent.
Payne soared to global fame as part of One Direction, the group that was created on the British talent show “The X Factor” in 2010.
He and his former colleagues – Malik, Styles, Horan and Tomlinson – subsequently embarked on solo careers, after going on an “indefinite hiatus” in 2016.
The quartet were “completely devastated” over his death, according to a joint statement on Instagram.
“We will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly,” Malik, Styles, Horan and Tomlinson posted on social media. “The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever.
“We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam.”
Many fans had hoped for years that One Direction – a band that created pandemonium and achieved wild chart success – would one day reunite.
The tragic sight of four bandmates arriving for Payne’s funeral underscored the sudden and devastating nature of his passing.
“I was so gobsmacked. It brought tears to my eyes,” Caroline Jordan, 58, told CNN on Wednesday. She had held her wedding inside St. Mary’s Church, and had followed Payne and his bandmates since they first formed on “The X Factor.”
“I’ve watched him from the minute they performed as a band,” she said. “He had so much more to give.”
Victoria Horwood, 28, said she drove past Payne’s house each morning as she took her child to school. His music “helped me through a lot of hard times,” Horwood told CNN, and she attended several of One Direction’s concerts.
