The death of who shot to stardom as a member of British boy band and grappled with intense global fame while still in his teens, sent shockwaves across the world Thursday as Argentine investigators continued their investigation at the scene.
Fans, music-industry figures and fellow musicians paid tribute to Payne, 31, who died after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina.
As fans and media bombarded the Casa Sur Hotel in the trendy Palermo neighborhood of Argentina鈥檚 capital, the forensics unit worked inside on Thursday collecting evidence.
The Buenos Aires police said they found Payne鈥檚 hotel room 鈥渋n complete disarray,鈥� with packs of clonazepam, a central nervous system depressant, as well as energy supplements and other over-the-counter drugs strewn about and 鈥渧arious items broken.鈥� They added that a whiskey bottle, lighter and cellphone were retrieved from the internal hotel courtyard where Payne鈥檚 body was found.
The day before, police said that Payne 鈥渉ad jumped from the balcony of his room,鈥� without elaborating on how they came to that conclusion. The Associated Press could not confirm details of the incident, as the investigation is ongoing. The medical examiner鈥檚 office said it was conducting an autopsy.
Police said they had rushed to the hotel Wednesday in response to an emergency call just after 5 p.m. local time that had warned of an 鈥渁ggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.鈥�
A hotel manager can be heard on a 911 call recording obtained by The Associated Press saying the hotel has 鈥渁 guest who is overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol 鈥� He鈥檚 destroying the entire room and, well, we need you to send someone, please.鈥� The manager鈥檚 voice becomes more anxious as the call goes on, noting the room has a balcony.
Payne was known as the tousle-headed, sensible one of the quintet that went from a TV talent show to a pop phenomenon with a huge international following of swooning fans. In recent years he had acknowledged struggling with alcoholism, saying in a YouTube posted in July 2023 that he had been sober for six months after receiving treatment. Representatives for Payne did not immediately return emails and calls.
Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood, who performed with One Direction in 2014, said he was 鈥渟hocked and saddened.鈥�
鈥淕od bless Liam, thinking of all his loved ones. He will be dearly missed,鈥� Wood wrote on X.
Paris Hilton also sent condolences on X, saying the news was 鈥渟o upsetting.鈥� The Backstreet Boys said in a social media post that their hearts go out to 鈥淒irectioners around the world.鈥�
Dozens of One Direction fans flocked to the Casa Sur Hotel after the news broke, forming lines that spilled into the cordoned-off street outside, where police stood sentinel. Forensic investigators were seen leaving the building, from where Payne鈥檚 body was removed around three hours after the fall. Young women filming with their cellphones expressed shock and heartbreak as a makeshift memorial with rows of candles and bouquets quickly grew.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 think he was going to die so young,鈥� 21-year-old Isabella Milesi told the AP.
Payne was one of five members of One Direction, which formed after each auditioned for the British singing competition 鈥淭he X Factor鈥� in 2010, two years after Payne鈥檚 first attempt to get on the show. Aged 16 the second time around, Payne sang Michael Bubl茅鈥檚 version of 鈥淐ry Me a River,鈥� appearing nervous at the start but warming up with the audience鈥檚 cheers and applause.
After each singer failed to make it through the competition as a solo act, 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 ever 鈥� even though they lost the competition.
Each member had his own persona, with Payne 鈥� who hailed from Wolverhampton in England鈥檚 West Midlands region 鈥� known as the responsible one. The band became known for their pop sound and romantic hits including 鈥淲hat Makes You Beautiful,鈥� 鈥淣ight Changes鈥� and 鈥淪tory of My Life.鈥�
Payne had prominent solos on songs including 鈥淪tole My Heart鈥� and 鈥淐hange Your Ticket,鈥� co-writing several of the band鈥檚 hits. One Direction had six Top 10 hits on the Billboard charts by the time they disbanded in 2016 and a highly loyal fan base, known as 鈥淒irectioners,鈥� many of them teen girls.
鈥淚鈥檝e always loved One Direction since I was little,鈥� said 18-year-old Juana Relh, another fan outside Payne鈥檚 hotel. 鈥淭o see that he died and that there will never be another reunion of the boys is unbelievable, it kills me.鈥�
With his meteoric rise to fame, Payne had said that it took some time to adjust to life in the public eye.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think you can ever deal with that. It鈥檚 all a bit crazy for us to see that people get in that sort of state of mind about us and what we do,鈥� he said in a 2013 interview with the AP after recounting an experience where a fan was in a state of shock upon meeting him.
One Direction announced an indefinite 鈥渉iatus鈥� in 2016, and Payne 鈥� like each of his erstwhile bandmates 鈥� pursued a solo career, shifting toward EDM and hip-hop.
While Styles became a huge solo star, the others had more modest success. Payne鈥檚 2017 single 鈥淪trip That Down,鈥� featuring Quavo, reached the Billboard Top 10, and stayed on the charts for several months. He put out in 2019, and his last release 鈥� a single called 鈥淭eardrops鈥� 鈥� was released in March.
In 2020, to mark the 10th anniversary of One Direction, Payne shared a screenshot of a text message he sent to his father on the day he joined the group, which read: 鈥淚鈥檓 in a boyband.鈥�
鈥淲hat a journey 鈥� I had no idea what we were in for when I sent this text to my dad years ago at this exact time the band was formed,鈥� he wrote.
Payne had a with his former girlfriend, the who was known as Cheryl Cole when she performed with Girls Aloud. She was an 鈥淴 Factor鈥� judge during One Direction鈥檚 season, although their relationship began years later.
Payne was previously engaged to Maya Henry, from August 2020 to early 2022. Henry released a novel earlier this year that she said was based on their relationship.
In addition to his son, he is survived by his parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, and his two older sisters, Ruth and Nicola.
