Former One Direction member Liam Payne dies at age 31

Emergency services were called to his hotel in Buenos Aires after staff reported that a guest was “overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol” and that staff didn’t know “if the guest’s life is at risk.”

Liam Payne is survived by his 7-year-old son Bear, who he had with former Girls Aloud member and “X Factor” judge Cheryl Tweedy.

In a candid 2023 video shared to his Youtube channel, Payne spoke about his love for his son.

“Time with Bear’s been really, really great,” he said in the video.

“He’s awesome. I mean, he’s growing up far too quickly. He actually texted me the other day off his iPad, saying ‘Hello Dad, right?,’” Payne said.

“What? You’re six, like what are you doing?!” Payne said. “I tried to make it jokey… and then I put ‘ello’ with no h and the simple response I got back was, ‘no, no it’s not ello, it’s hello with a h.’

“So he’s learning really quickly, he’s far more smarter than I think I’ll ever be. Yeah, he’s a wonder but he’s definitely learning to talk at this moment in time and it’s a lot of fun to be around, to watch him grow,” Payne said about his son.

A smashed television is seen in the hotel room of singer Liam Payne.

A photo provided by police from inside Liam Payne’s Argentina hotel room shows a smashed-up television and some debris scattered on the floor.

The TV is situated at an angle and a large break is visible in the middle of the screen.

Hotel staff had requested urgent police assistance shortly before Payne fell, according to a 911 call obtained by a CNN affiliate. The hotel manager said a guest was “overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol,” and that staff didn’t know “if the guest’s life is at risk.”

Liam Payne, who has died at the age of 31 in the Argentinian capital, Buenos Aires, was born on 29 August, 1993 in the English city of Wolverhampton.

He was still living in the area when he shot to fame on the British TV contest show “The X Factor.” He first appeared on the show in 2008 as a 14-year-old, returning two years later on Simon Cowell’s advice.

On “The Diary of a CEO” podcast in 2021, Payne spoke about becoming famous while still growing up in his local area as a teenager.

“I didn’t leave Wolverhampton and everyone in Wolverhampton knew who the hell I was, so I couldn’t go anywhere,” he said.

“At that point, I can’t afford a security guard. I’m not special enough to have any of these, like, additives. I’m still on the 794A (bus) to my little Christian school,” he continued.

His former school, St Peter’s Collegiate Academy, posted a tribute to him on Facebook Thursday, saying staff were “deeply saddened to learn of the sudden passing of our former student, Liam Payne.”

During his time there, “Liam was not only well-liked by his peers and teachers but also recognised for his talents. He made a positive impact on our school community, and his contributions will be remembered,” the statement adds.

Payne went on to study music technology at the City of Wolverhampton College, which shared an image of young Payne with some music production equipment in an Instagram story Thursday, writing: “We were sorry to hear the news about former student Liam Payne and wish to extend our sympathies to his family and friends at this very sad time.”

Liam Payne first dazzled British audiences as a bright–eyed 14-year-old during his audition for The X Factor in 2008, singing Frank Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon.”

“I should really be concentrating on my [school] work, but I just think about singing too much,” he said before his first audition. Payne, who grew up in Wolverhampton, a city in the English midlands near Birmingham, spoke then with a thick “Brummie” accent that would fade as his career progressed.

Judge Simon Cowell later cut Payne before that series’ live performances, telling him to focus on his studies and “come back in two years.”

In 2010, Payne, then 16, returned for his second audition. Later in the series, judge Nicole Scherzinger grouped Payne together with Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik to form One Direction.

The group came third in the competition and signed with Cowell’s record label, embarking on their first tour the following year that sold out in many of the 54 global venues.

One Direction remains one of the best-selling boy bands of all time, selling more than 70 million records worldwide.

Police officers stand guard at the entrance of the hotel where Liam Payne died in Buenos Aires on October 16.

Liam Payne was seen in Argentina attending his former One Directon bandmate Niall Horan’s concert on October 2, according to?videos?posted to social media from the show, which show him clapping along to the music and interacting with fans as they film him on their cell phones.

He also posted a couple of videos to social media platform Snapchat.

The first has a caption reading, “Lovely day in Argentina,” and Payne says: “Morning everybody.”

In the second short video, which has the caption “Polo Liam unlocked,” he says: “Today we ride. We’re gonna ride some horses.”

At the time of his death, Payne had been staying in the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires “for two or three days,” according to the hotel manager.

A 911 call made by staff at a Buenos Aires hotel reveals their concerns for One Direction star Liam Payne’s welfare in the moments before his death.

The staff called for urgent police assistance on Wednesday. CNN’s local affiliate Todo Noticias released the transcript:

“We have a guest who is overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol,” the hotel manager said on the call.

“He breaks things up. He is tearing the whole room apart.”

The manager said they needed “someone to be sent to us urgently,” as staff didn’t know “if the guest’s life is at risk.”

Hotel staff could not enter the 31-year-old’s room, according to the manager, who also said the musician had been staying at the hotel “for two or three days” before his death.

British TV talent show “The X Factor” has posted a tribute to Payne on X.

“We are heartbroken by the sad passing of Liam Payne,” reads the post.

“He was immensely talented and, as part of One Direction, Liam will leave a lasting legacy on the music industry and fans around the world.?Our thoughts are with his friends, family and all who loved him.”

More tributes have been rolling in as news of Liam Payne’s death travels around the world.

US media personality Paris Hilton wrote in a post on X: “So upsetting to hear the news of @LiamPayne passing. Sending love and condolences to his family & loved ones. RIP my friend.”

Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood remembered working with Payne on a performance on “The X Factor.”

“I am shocked and saddened to hear of the death of Liam Payne,” wrote Wood in a post on X. “God bless Liam, thinking of all his loved ones. He will be dearly missed.”

Meanwhile, band the Backstreet Boys posted on X: “Words can not express the emotions we are collectively feeling right now, and it seems like the rest of the world is in the same boat.

“Our hearts go out to Liam’s family, friends, and Directioners around the world. Rest in peace brother.”

Fans of British singer Liam Payne light candles outside the hotel where he died in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 16.

Candles, flowers and a British flag decorated the exterior of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where police say One Direction star Liam Payne died after falling from the third floor.

Crowds, mainly of fans in their 20s and 30s, had gathered within minutes of hearing the news. An impromptu vigil was set up to honor the musician, and fans held a minute of silence.

Mourners sat and listened to One Direction songs such as “More Than This” from the boy band’s 2011 debut album “Up All Night.”

Fans held an impromptu vigil and moment of silence in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 16.

One Direction fan Ernesto Sanchez told Reuters that Payne’s death prompted him to think “about his close ones, loved one. It makes me think about the people I have close to me and how they are emotionally.”

Another fan, 25-year-old Yamila Zacarias, said the boyband “meant a lot to me because I was at a stage [in my life] where I wanted to form part of something bigger and One Direction and being a Directioner was that for me.”

“When they came to Argentina, my family made a big effort so I could go see them, we didn’t have a lot of money and I decided not to go. I gave that up. This was the only time I was able to clap for him,” she added.

In the hours after news of his death, tributes poured in from people who had known Payne since the start of his teenage stardom.

“I remember him as a 14 year old turning up to audition on The X Factor, and blowing us away singing Sinatra,” wrote former “X-Factor” presenter Dermot O’Leary on Instagram, sharing a photo of himself and a young Payne on stage. “He just loved to sing. He was always a joy, had time for everyone, polite, grateful, and was always humble.”

Anne Twist, the mother of Payne’s former bandmate Harry Styles, posted a broken-hearted emoji on Instagram, writing: “Just a boy…”

Fans across social media expressed their shock and grief at losing what many described as an iconic figure in their youth – reminiscing on their years as fervent One Direction fans.

Behind her, mourning fans lit candles and sang the One Direction song “Infinity.”

Fellow artists also voiced their grief and condolences, including producer Zedd and singer-songwriter Charlie Puth.

Left to right: Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan of 'One Direction' during the X Factor press conference in London in 2010.

One Direction was famously assembled by British producer Simon Cowell after he saw Payne and four other talented young men – Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan – audition for the UK version of “The X-Factor.” Individually, they weren’t good enough, Cowell thought.

Together, it turned out, they were a sensation.

Called 1D by their fans, they became a global phenomenon as the first group to have its first four albums debut at No. 1 on the?Billboard 200. Their massive fanbase, nicknamed Directioners, propelled the pop group to more than 50 million records sold before the members parted ways to pursue solo careers. They were known for songs like “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Best Song Ever” and “Story of My Life.”

Payne has spoken previously about the mental weight of fame.

“I don’t think I struggle in the sense of what you would naturally think of when I’m walking down the street with every person stopping me,” he told?Esquire Middle East in 2019. “I mean, it happens sometimes but it’s mainly mentally where you struggle with it. It’s the getting ready and always knowing that you might be photographed.”

Malik was the first to depart the band in 2015. The others followed suit.

Payne released his first solo album in 2019 titled “LP1.” Last year, he announced plans for a new album and tour that were later?postponed?after Payne suffered a kidney infection.

He had been open about past struggles with substance abuse and?talked about?being six months sober in a video shared on YouTube in summer 2023.

“It’s good to be in this position,” he said at the time. “I definitely don’t need those things anymore. The party’s over.”

He also thanked his former partner?Cheryl Tweedy, with whom he had a 7-year-old son named Bear, for giving him the “freedom” and support to get well at the time.

Last spring, Payne released the song “Teardrops.”

“I always think in pictures as much as I think in sounds when I’m making music,” Payne said in a?video?of him recording the song. “The feelings that these chords and different things give me, everyone of these songs is a story from my life.”

Liam Payne performs in 2018.

Former One Direction band member?Liam Payne?has died at age 31 after falling from the third floor of the four-star CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, according to police. The circumstances surrounding his death are still unclear.

Here’s what we know:

911 call: Hotel staff had requested urgent police assistance shortly before Payne fell, according to a 911 call obtained by CNN’s local affiliate Todo Noticias. “We have a guest who is overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol,” the hotel manager said on the call. “He breaks things up. He is tearing the whole room apart.”

The manager said they needed “someone to be sent to us urgently,” as staff didn’t know “if the guest’s life is at risk.”

Hotel staff could not enter the room, where the guest had been staying “for two or three days,” the manager said on the call.

Police rushed to hotel: Pablo Policicchio, communications director for the Buenos Aires Security Ministry, said in a statement to?The Associated Press?that Payne “had jumped from the balcony of his room.” Police rushed to the hotel in response to an emergency call just after 5 p.m. local time, he said, warning of an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”

Photos of Payne’s hotel room, released by Buenos Aires police, showed a smashed television.

Authorities are now investigating the circumstances of his death and conducting an autopsy.

Editor’s Note:?Help is available if you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters.
In the US: Call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Globally: The International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide have contact information for crisis centers around the world.