BUENOS AIRES: Former One Direction singer Liam Payne, 31, whose chart-topping British boy band generated a global following of swooning fans, was found dead Wednesday after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, local officials said.
Buenos Aires police said that Payne fell from the third floor of the Casa Sur Hotel in the trendy Palermo neighbourhood of Argentina’s capital, resulting in “extremely serious injuries”.The police statement to AP said Payne “had jumped from the balcony of his room.” Police rushed to the hotel in response to an emergency call just after 5pm local time warning of an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol”, it added.
The hotel manager can be heard on a 911 call saying they had “a guest who is overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol. He’s destroying the entire room.” The manager’s voice became more anxious as the call went on, noting the room had a balcony. Alberto Crescenti, head of the state emergency medical system, said authorities were investigating the circumstances of his death. Payne had been vocal about struggling with alcoholism, posting a video in July 2023 to his YouTube channel where he said he had been sober for six months after receiving treatment. Representatives for Payne didn’t return calls.
Payne was one of five members of One Direction, which formed when they each auditioned for the British singing competition series “The X Factor” in 2010, two years after Payne’s first attempt to get on the show. At 16 the second time around, Payne sang Michael Buble’s version of “Cry Me a River”.
After each singer failed to make it through the competition as solo acts, Simon Cowell and his fellow judges combined Payne, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson into what would become one of the most successful boy bands – even though they lost the competition. Each member had their own persona, with Payne – who hailed from Wolverhampton, a city in the West Midlands region of England – being known as the responsible one. The band became known for their pop sound and hits like “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Night Changes” and “Story of My Life.” They had six Top 10 hits on the Billboard charts by the time they disbanded in 2016.
After the group’s dissolution, Payne – like each of his erstwhile bandmates – pursued a solo career, shifting toward EDM and hip-hop. His 2017 single “Strip That Down” reached the Billboard Top 10, and stayed on the charts for several months. He put out an album “L” in 2019, and his last release – a single called “Teardrops” – was released in March.
Payne had a 7-year-old son, Bear Grey Payne, with exgirlfriend, the musician Cheryl. He is also survived by his parents and his two older sisters.
