For those of you who haven’t heard, thirty-one-year-old, Liam Payne, former One Direction member, passed away on October sixteenth. He fell from the third story of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, a potential suicide. He was there to see his former bandmate, Nial Horron.
Liam was born on August 29, 1993. He appeared on the British talent show X Factor for the first time when he was just 14! The judges liked it but said it needed more work. When he was 16, he went back and Simon Cowell paired him up with Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson, forming One Direction. The band was active from 2010 to 2016. The majority of the band members were British, except for Niall Horan, who is Irish. The band has forty-two million listeners on Spotify and sold over seven million records. Their first song was “What Makes You Beautiful” with 1.56 billion views on YouTube!
When the band broke up, Liam began working on solo projects. His most popular album without the band is “LP1.” In 2023, Liam announced a new album and released a single called “Teardrops.” He had 4.7 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and after his death it grew to ten million.
Despite having a successful career, he did have some mental health issues. Liam was vocal about his mental health saying, “When you’re doing hundreds and hundreds of [concerts] and it’s the same twenty-two songs at the same time every single day, even if you’re not happy, you’ve got to go out there.” He said it was fun but often toxic. How could it not be, at seventeen being constantly photographed and interviewed? That’s a lot of pressure.
On the show “This Morning” in 2019, Liam said they had two weeks to write albums on the road because their management had already sold tickets for the next tour. Ultimately, it was Liam’s mental state that caused his death.
When the news hit former X Factor presenter, Dermot O’Leary he said: “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. He was always a joy, had time for everyone, polite, grateful, and was always humble.”
A vigil was held outside the hotel. Fans were distraught showing how much of an impact the singer had on them.
You don’t have to be a fan of his music to appreciate his life. Liam funded more than 360,000 meals for people in crisis during the COVID pandemic. He helped 100 food banks in multiple cities saying, “I want to play my part in finding a solution to ensure people have enough money to buy their own food – and end the need for food banks.” Liam spent his final days donating to sick children.
When the news hit fans here at Sutton, they were shocked. One student said, “I was shocked and immediately went online to read about what happened.” That night everyone was scrambling to figure out what happened.
Harry Styles, former bandmate, wrote on his Instagram page, “I am truly devastated by Liam’s passing. His greatest joy was making other people happy, and it was an honor to be alongside him as he did it. Liam lived wide open, with his heart on his sleeve, he had an energy for life that was infectious. He was warm, supportive, and incredibly loving. The years we spent together will forever remain among the most cherished years of my life. I will miss him always, my lovely friend. My heart breaks for Karen, Geoff, Nicola and Ruth, his son Bear, and all those around the world who knew and loved him, as I did.”
Zayn Malik also made an Instagram post about his friend’s passing saying, “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. I never got to thank you for supporting me through some of the most difficult times in my life. “When I was missing home as a 17-year-old kid you would always be there with a positive outlook and reassuring smile and let me know you were my friend and that I was loved. Even though you were younger than me you were always more sensible than me, you were headstrong, opinionated, and gave no Fs about telling people when they were wrong.”
Zayn continued, speaking about past fights. “Even though we butted heads because of this a few times, I always secretly respected you for it. When it came to the music, Liam, you were the most qualified in every sense. I knew nothing in comparison, l was a novice child with no experience and you were already a professional. I was always happy to know, no matter what happened on stage we could always rely on you to know which way to steer the ship next. I lost a brother when you left us and can’t explain to you what l’d give to just give you a hug one last time and say goodbye to you properly and tell you that I loved and respected you dearly. I will cherish all the memories I have with you in my heart forever, there is no words that justify or explain how I feel right now other than beyond devastated. I hope that wherever you are right now you are good and are at peace and you know how loved you are. Love you bro.”
Zayn also postponed his current tour, with tickets still valid for new dates.
Other friends and family posted about him, including Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson. All of the members recognized that Liam was the most qualified and the leader in the group. Shawn Mendes also had a tribute to Liam in his latest concert.
Liam Payne had a successful and generous career, his songs made an impact on so many people across the world, and he will be missed by friends, family, and fans.
