British singer and former One Direction member Liam Payne, who helped the boy band become global superstars, has died, Argentine authorities told local media. He was 31 years old that year.
Payne died after falling from a third-floor balcony of the Casa Sur Palermo hotel in Buenos Aires on Wednesday night, Alberto Crescenti, the head of the national emergency medical system, told a local television station. He told local television that an emergency call came in around 5 p.m. Crescenti said in Spanish that Payne died from injuries sustained in a fall and there was no chance of resuscitation.
Pablo Policicchio, spokesman for the Buenos Aires City Department of Security, said in a statement that Payne “jumped from the balcony of his room.” He said police were dispatched to the hotel in response to an emergency call about “an aggressive man who may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.” Polisicchio said arriving police heard a loud bang and discovered Payne’s body in the hotel courtyard.
According to Reuters, the emergency call was made by a hotel staff member who requested help for a guest. “He’s destroying the entire room and we need you to send someone,” the staff member said, adding that they believed the guest’s life was in danger because of the balcony in the room.
Fans of Payne and others gathered outside the hotel and watched first responders remove the body, according to news organizations. Some hugged, cried and “burst into applause.”
The singer died two weeks after arriving in Argentina to attend a concert by fellow One Direction singer Niall Horan on October 2.
Payne appears in Videos shared on social media Greeting fans at a concert at Movistar Arena – shaking hands with excited fans and playfully performing the Macarena. Before the trip, he posted a story on Snapchat about wanting to reconnect with his old bandmates.
Payne was traveling with girlfriend Kate Cassidy, but she left Argentina earlier this week.
Payne is best known as a member of One Direction, the “X Factor” success story turned global phenomenon that also includes Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Harry Potter Thales. One Direction formed in 2010 when each of the five potential members failed to advance as solo artists on the British talent show and were instead placed in a group that included Simon Cowell and “X Factor” judges, including Nicole Scherzinger, think they’ll thrive.
The dreamy quintet has been compared to The Beatles and is known for hits like “What Makes You Beautiful” and “Story of My Life.” During the band’s heyday, Payne was known by fans as one of the quieter members of the band. Occasionally, he sang lead vocals on songs, including the early songs “Gotta Be You” and “Stole My Heart.” To his One Direction peers, Payne is like their own Gary Barlow, one of the UK’s most successful singer-songwriters.
“Liam has this aura of Barlow. He’s like, ‘Come on, kids, let’s get lost. Let’s go.’ He knows it and can’t deny it,” Horan told The Sun in 2012 .
One Direction has never achieved Grammy glory, but has won multiple awards at the American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards and BRIT Awards. In 2016, the group disbanded as members chose to pursue individual careers. Payne released his first single “Strip That Down” in 2017 with rapper Quavo.
Payne released his only solo album “LP1” in 2019.
Liam James Payne was born on August 29, 1993 in Wolverhampton, England. He created his “X factor” debut In 2008, at the age of 14, she won the judges’ recognition with her charming performance “Fly to My Moon”.
“I always wanted to sing,” said Payne, who was a student at the time. “I should really be focusing on my work. But I just want to sing too much. This is a dream. I’d love to do it.
Cowell decided Payne wasn’t ready and cut the aspiring singer’s journey short. Two years later, Payne returned to “The X Factor” and found fame again. During his 2010 audition, Payne showcased his vocal talents with Ella Fitzgerald’s “Cry Me a River.” Payne received a standing ovation and recognition from the judges, opening the door to a music career that would take him far beyond the UK.
Payne’s second ‘X Factor’ tour takes shocking turn, Cowell and Scherzinger Decide He will join Styles, Horan, Malik and Tomlinson to form One Direction – one of two groups vying for the award. One Direction failed to win the “X Factor” crown, but the band’s momentum shows no signs of stopping.
One Direction, popular among younger audiences, has released five albums in five years, gone on four world tours and received documentary treatment with the 2013 concert film One Direction: This Is Us. But eventually, Malik left the band in March 2015, and the band went on hiatus indefinitely starting in 2016.
After his One Direction era ended, Payne continued to work with other artists, including French Montana, Ed Sheeran and Charlie Puth. “Liam was always great to me,” Puth said in an Instagram tribute shared Wednesday.
In recent years, Payne has spoken publicly about his struggles with mental health, drugs and alcohol. In 2023, he was also hospitalized with a “severe kidney infection,” interrupting his trip to South America.
In a candid video shared to his YouTube page in 2023, Payne detailed his relationship with Bear, his 7-year-old son with ex-girlfriend Cheryl Cole, and revealed that he had Six months sober.
“It’s great to be in this position, definitely not needing those things anymore,” he said. “The party is over.”
Times staff writer Sandra McDonald and The Associated Press contributed to this report.