Liam Payne, the former One Direction star, has tragically passed away at the age of 31.
According to reports from AP, he died after a three-story fall from a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Alberto Crescenti, the head of the state emergency medical system, confirmed that Payne fell into a courtyard at the Casa Sur Hotel. Authorities are still investigating the circumstances of the fall.
Originally from Wolverhampton, England, Payne first appeared on the public radar as a contestant on “The X Factor” in 2008. Although initially eliminated, he returned to the show in 2010, joining forces with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik to form One Direction.
The group finished third on the show and quickly signed with Simon Cowell’s Syco Entertainment. Active from 2010 to 2016, One Direction became one of the best-selling boy bands in history, with over 70 million records sold worldwide. Following the band’s decision to take an indefinite hiatus in 2016, each member pursued solo projects.
Payne launched his solo music career in 2017 with the successful single “Strip That Down,” featuring Quavo. The track secured a top 10 spot in the US and peaked at No. 3 in the UK. His debut album, “LP1,” was released in December 2019 and reached No. 17 in the UK charts. Earlier this year, Payne released “Teardrops,” along with its acoustic version, continuing his solo endeavours.
Throughout his career, Payne was open about his battles with alcohol and mental health issues. Last year, he proudly shared his achievement of over three months of sobriety. “I’m sober now, over 100 days,” Payne stated in an interview with IFL TV, expressing gratitude for the support from his fans during his journey.
