Louis Tomlinson has shared an emotional tribute to fellow One Direction star Liam Payne, following his tragic death in Argentina.
Payne died after falling from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 16 October with police saying they had been dispatched to the hotel CasaSur in Palermo.
Alberto Crescenti, the head of the state emergency medical system, said on Argentina's Todo Noticias TV channel that the singer had fallen from his hotel room into a courtyard.
As the former members of One Direction shared a joint statement responding to his death, Tomlinson took to Instagram with his own personal tribute.
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"I am beyond devastated to be writing this but yesterday I lost a brother," he wrote as he shared a photo of the two of them.
"Liam was somebody I looked up to everyday, such a positive, funny, and kind soul.
"I first met Liam when he was 16 and I was 18, I was instantly amazed by his voice but more importantly as time went on I got a chance to see the kind brother I’d longed all my life for.
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"Liam was an incredible song writer with a great sense of melody, we often spoke of getting back in the studio together to try and recreate the writing chemistry we had built up in the band.
"And for the record, Liam was in my opinion the most vital part of One Direction. His experience from a young age, his perfect pitch, his stage presence, his gift for writing. The list goes on. Thank you for shaping us Liam."
Tomlinson continued: "A message to you Liam if you’re listening,
"I feel beyond lucky to have had you in my life but I’m really struggling with the idea of saying goodbye. I’m so grateful that we got even closer since the band, speaking on the phone for hours, reminiscing about all the thousands of amazing memories we had together is a luxury I thought I’d have with you for life. I would have loved to share the stage with you again but it wasn’t to be.
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Tomlinson went on to make an emotional promise to Liam's son Bear saying:
"I want you to know that if Bear ever needs me I will be the Uncle he needs in his life and tell him stories of how amazing his dad was."
He added: "I wish I got chance to say goodbye and tell you one more time how much I loved you.
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"Payno, my boy, one of my best friends, my brother, I love you mate. Sleep well."
In their joint statement, Tomlinson, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan said they felt 'completely devastated' by Payne's death.
“In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say," they said.
“But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly."
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The group went on to say that the memories they shared with Payne would be 'treasured forever', adding: "For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us.
“We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam.”
Topics: Celebrity, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson
Jess Hardiman