One Direction’s Liam Payne, 31, rose to fame as a teenager and struggled with alcoholism

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 on Wednesday after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aireslocal officials said.
Buenos Aires police said Payne fell from the third floor of the building. Casa Sur Hotel in the trendy Palermo district of the Argentine capital, resulting in “extremely serious injuries”. The police statement to AP said Payne “jumped from his bedroom balcony.” Police rushed to the hotel in response to an emergency call shortly after 5 p.m. local time, warning of an “aggressive man who may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol”, adds the press release.
The hotel manager can be heard in a 911 call saying he had “a guest who is overcome with drugs and alcohol. He’s destroying the entire room.” The manager’s voice grew more anxious as the call continued, noting that the room had a balcony. Alberto Crescenti, head of the state’s emergency medical system, said authorities were investigating the circumstances of his death. Payne had expressed his difficulty in alcoholismposting a video in July 2023 on his YouTube channel in which he said he remained sober for six months after receiving treatment. Representatives for Payne did not return calls.
Payne was one of five members of One Direction, formed when they each auditioned for the British singing competition series “The X factor” in 2010, two years after Payne’s first attempt to appear on the show. At age 16 for the second time, Payne sang Michael Bublé’s version of “Cry Me a River”.
After each singer failed to pass the solo competition, Simon Cowell and his fellow judges combined Payne, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson to form what would become one of the most successful boy bands. more successful – even if they lost. the competition. Each member had their own personality, with Payne – originally from Wolverhampton, a city in the West Midlands region of England – being known as the one in charge. The group 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 at the time of their disbandment in 2016.
After the group disbanded, Payne – like each of his former bandmates – pursued a solo career, moving into EDM and hip-hop. His 2017 single “Strip That Down” reached the Billboard Top 10 and remained on the charts for several months. He released an album “L” in 2019, and his latest album – a single titled “Tears” – was released in March.
Payne had a 7-year-old son, Bear Gray Payne, with his ex-girlfriend, musician Cheryl. He is also survived by his parents and two older sisters.