Liam Payne, former member of the hit band One Direction, has died aged 31 in an incident in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Payne is said to have fallen from his third-floor balcony of the CasaSur Hotel in the city’s Palermo district. Authorities say it is not yet known whether Payne’s death was an accident, foul play or suicide.

Local emergency services confirmed his death, which has left fans and fellow artists in shock.

One Direction, which split in 2015, had 29 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and as of 2020 had sold more than 70 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling “boy bands” in history.

Who were Liam Payne and One Direction?

The youngest of three siblings, Payne was born in Wolverhampton in the West Midlands of the United Kingdom. He studied music technology at City of Wolverhampton College, laying the foundation for his future career in the music industry.

At the age of 14, Payne made his debut on the music competition reality TV show, The Undeterred, he returned two years later and delivered a powerful rendition of “Cry Me A River” that won over the judges.

One Direction was formed on that X Factor show in July 2010, brought together by one of the judges, Simon Cowell, later known as a ruthlessly critical judge on the TV reality show American Idol.

All group members had initially auditioned for The X Factor as solo artists, with the group consisting of Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik.

Their performance cemented their position as one of the most commercially successful boy bands in music history, known for hits such as “What Makes You Beautiful” and “Story of My Life.”

The band’s debut album, Up All Night, released in 2011, made history by becoming the first album by a British group to debut at number one on the US Billboard 200. First week sales reached 500,000 digital copies.

In 2013, they released their third album, Midnight Memories, which became one of their most successful albums, selling 4 million copies in less than two months. Their 2014 “Where We Are” tour was one of the highest-grossing tours for a singing group, with sales of $290 million.

After announcing an indefinite hiatus in 2015, the members of One Direction have since focused on developing individual solo careers.

Payne released his debut solo single “Strip That Down” in 2017 with American rapper Quavo. His solo debut album, LPI, released in December 2019, peaked at number 17 in the UK Albums Chart.

Payne has a seven-year-old son named Bear Gray Payne with his former British girlfriend, Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, who goes by the stage name Cheryl. Fernandez-Versini, 41, first met Payne in 2008 when he auditioned for The X Factor. At the time, Cheryl was a judge alongside Simon Cowell, Dannii Minogue and Louis Walsh.

Fernandez-Versini was also an X Factor judge on One Direction’s appearance on the show in 2010.

Following her divorce from ex-husband Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini, Cheryl reconnected with Payne in 2016. In 2017, they had their son, Bear Gray Payne, but separated the following year.

Payne had openly discussed his struggle with alcohol addiction. In a July 2023 video, he shared his progress, stating that he had remained sober for six months after a period of rehabilitation.

In March 2024, Payne released his latest single, Tearsdrop, on which he collaborated with N*SYNC’s Jamie Scott and JC Chasez. He shared footage of some emotional moments during the development of Tearsdrop on TikTok.

Hours before his death, Payne posted a Snapchat video showing him having breakfast with his girlfriend Kate Cassidy. He starts the video with the words: “Good morning everyone, beautiful day here in Argentina.” He continues with light banter with Cassidy, occasionally smiling, as he talks about riding horses, playing polo, and returning home to see his dog Stan. He ends the video with: “So it’s going to be a fun day.”

Liam Payne had posted on Snapchat in the hours before his death, sharing photos of himself with his partner Kate Cassidy, as well as videos in which he said it was a “beautiful day here in Argentina.”

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Last month, Netflix announced that it had signed Payne on as a judge for its new reality TV competition, Building the Band. Other judges include Destiny’s Child alumnus Kelly Rowland, Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls and Backstreet Boys member AJ McLean as emcee.

Payne is survived by his parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, and his two older sisters, Ruth and Nicola.

Why did he go to Argentina?

Payne traveled to Buenos Aires in late September to support his former One Direction bandmate, Niall Horan, in a concert that was part of his tour, The Show Live On Tour, and featured his third studio album, The Show, which was released. in June 2023.

This visit came after Payne’s performance at Horan’s show at Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires on October 2, where he watched the performance with fans in attendance.

How did Payne die?

According to local authorities, Payne fell from the third-floor balcony of the CasaSur Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

According to the recording of a 911 call to police obtained by The Associated Press, the manager of the CasaSur Hotel told police there was “a guest who was overpowered by drugs and alcohol.”

Referring to Payne’s hotel room, the manager said, “He’s trashing the whole room and, well, we need you to send someone, please.”

On Wednesday, Alberto Crescenti, head of Buenos Aires’ emergency medical service, told Argentine news channel Todo Noticias: “At 5:04 p.m., we were alerted via 911 about a person who was in the courtyard of the CasaSur Hotel. At 5:11 p.m., a team arrived and confirmed the man’s death.

Payne was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

“There was no possibility of resuscitation,” with the singer suffering “very serious injuries incompatible with life as a result of his fall,” Crescenti told Todo Noticias News.

Officials will conduct an autopsy and launch an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Payne’s death. It is still unclear whether it was an accident or suicide.

What was the general reaction?

Celebrities and musicians from around the world have paid tribute to the former One Direction member.

Television network MTV issued a statement on its X account: “We are deeply saddened to learn today of the tragic passing of Liam Payne. Our thoughts remain with his family, loved ones and fans at this difficult time.”

The mother of Harry Styles, his former One Direction bandmate who has since developed his own singing and film career, posted a heartbroken photo on Instagram after hearing the news of Payne’s death.

Ant Middleton, a former ex-Special Forces soldier who made a documentary with Payne in 2019 titled Ant Middleton & Liam Payne: Straight Talking in which the pair traveled through Namibia together, expressed his shock at the news.

Middleton told Australia’s The Morning Show: “After we filmed Straight Talking with Middleton, he was my first celebrity guest and we now formed the brotherhood. He was like a younger brother to me.”

Flavor Flav of American rap group Public Enemy shared his condolences on his X account, writing: “RIP to Liam Payne… way too young.”

Celebrities like Paris Hilton, the heiress of American society, also expressed their grief. Media groups including Spotify and IHeartRadio have also posted comments on their X accounts, expressing their support for Payne’s family and friends.

Bridget Phillipson, the UK Education Secretary and Secretary of State for Women and Equalities, told Sky News on Thursday morning: “It is very sad news, it is not an age for anyone to lose their life, and my thoughts are with their friends and family. total shock to them and very, very disturbing.”

Fans gathered outside the CasaSur Hotel in Buenos Aires to mourn Payne’s death, lighting candles and singing songs by One Direction.