By Isabel Debre | Associated Press
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Former One Direction singer Liam Payne, 31, was found dead after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires on Wednesday, local officials told Argentine media.
Alberto Crescenti, head of the state emergency medical system, said on Argentina’s Todo Noticias TV channel that Payne fell into a courtyard of the Casa Sur Hotel in the trendy Palermo neighborhood of Argentina’s capital. Crescenti declined to answer further questions about the incident, including whether Payne jumped from the balcony or fell by accident.
Crescenti told Todo Noticias that authorities were investigating the circumstances of his death and conducting an autopsy. Argentine media reported that Payne was in Buenos Aires to attend the concert of his former One Direction bandmate Niall Horan.
Payne was one of five band members of One Direction, which formed in 2010 when they each auditioned for the British singing competition series “The X Factor.” After each singer failed to make it through the competition as solo acts, Simon Cowell and his fellow judges combined Payne, Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson into what would become one of the most successful boy bands.
The band became known for their pop sound and romantic hits like “What Makes You Beautiful.” They had six Top 10 hits on the Billboard charts by the time they disbanded in 2016. They had a loyal fan base, many of whom were teen girls, who became known as “Directioners.” Once the group disbanded, Payne pursued a solo career, putting out the album “LP1” in 2019. His last release was a single called “Teardrops,” in March.
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. He is also survived by his parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, and his two older sisters, Ruth and Nicola. Representatives for Payne did not immediately return emails and calls.
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