BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — The death of Liam Payne, who shot to stardom as a member of the boy band One Direction and grappled with intense global fame while still in his teens, sent shockwaves across the world Thursday as Argentine authorities continued their investigation at the scene.
Fans, music industry figures and fellow musicians paid tribute to Payne, 31, who died Wednesday after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.
As fans and media swarmed the Casa Sur Hotel in the trendy Palermo neighborhood of Argentina’s capital, the forensics unit worked inside on Thursday collecting evidence.
The Buenos Aires police said they found Payne’s hotel room “in complete disarray” with packs of clonazepam, a central nervous system depressant, as well as energy supplements and other over-the-counter drugs strewn about and “various items broken.” They added that a whiskey bottle, lighter and cellphone were retrieved from the internal courtyard where Payne’s body was found.
The circumstances surrounding Payne’s sudden death remain uncertain. Initial autopsy results indicated that Payne suffered hemorrhages and multiple traumatic injuries, a Buenos Aires security official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media. The official said the report showed that Payne’s plunge from the third-floor balcony was what caused his fatal injuries. On Wednesday, police said Payne “had jumped from the balcony of his room,” without elaborating on how they came to that conclusion or whether the jump was intentional.
Police said they had rushed to the hotel in response to an emergency call just after 5 p.m. local time Wednesday that had warned of an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”
A hotel manager can be heard on a 911 call recording obtained by The Associated Press saying the hotel has “a guest who is overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol. … He’s destroying the entire room and, well, we need you to send someone, please.” The manager’s 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 video posted in July 2023 that he had been sober for six months after receiving treatment.
“We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul,” his family said in a statement through Payne’s representative. “We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.”
Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood, who performed with One Direction in 2014, said he was “shocked and saddened.” The Backstreet Boys said in a social media post that their hearts go out to “Directioners around the world.”
Payne was one of five members of One Direction, which formed after each auditioned for the British singing competition “The X Factor” in 2010, two years after Payne’s first attempt to get on the show. Aged 16 the second time around, Payne sang Michael Bublé’s version of “Cry Me a River,” appearing nervous at the start but warming up with the audience’s cheers and applause.
After each singer failed to make it through 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 — even though they lost the competition.
Each member had his own persona, with Payne — who hailed from Wolverhampton in England’s West Midlands region — known as the responsible one. The band became known for their pop sound and romantic hits including “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Night Changes” and “Story of My Life.”
Payne had prominent solos on songs including “Stole My Heart” and “Change Your Ticket,” co-writing several of the band’s hits. One Direction had six Top 10 hits on the Billboard charts and a highly loyal fan base, known as “Directioners,” many of them teen girls.
In the wake of his death, dozens of those fans formed lines that spilled into the cordoned-off street as police stood sentinel outside the hotel, before Payne’s 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.
“I’ve always loved One Direction since I was little,” said 18-year-old Juana Relh, outside Payne’s hotel. “To see that he died and that there will never be another reunion of the boys is unbelievable, it kills me.”
With his meteoric rise to fame, Payne had said that it took some time to adjust to life in the public eye.
“I don’t think you can ever deal with that. It’s all a bit crazy for us to see that people get in that sort of state of mind about us and what we do,” he said in a 2013 interview with the AP, recounting an experience where a fan was in a state of shock upon meeting him.
One Direction announced an indefinite “hiatus” in 2016, and Payne — like each of his erstwhile bandmates — pursued a solo career, shifting toward EDM and hip-hop.
While Styles became a huge solo star, the others had more modest success. Payne’s 2017 single “Strip That Down,” featuring Quavo, reached the Billboard Top 10, and stayed on the charts for several months. He put out an album “LP1” in 2019, and his last release — a single called “Teardrops” — 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: “I’m in a boyband.”
“What a journey … 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,” he wrote.
Payne had a 7-year-old son, Bear Grey Payne, with his former girlfriend, the musician Cheryl, who was known as Cheryl Cole when she performed with Girls Aloud. She was an “X Factor” judge during One Direction’s season, although their relationship began years later.
Payne had been dating 25-year-old social media influencer Kate Cassidy — they appeared together regularly on her posts dancing, traveling and joining in TikTok trends. Originally from New Jersey, Cassidy returned to the U.S. two days before Payne’s death, saying their planned five-day trip to South America had extended to two weeks.
He 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 two older sisters, Ruth and Nicola.
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Huamani reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press journalists Natacha Pisarenko and Almudena Calatrava contributed reporting from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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