One Direction have paid tribute to Liam Payne following his tragic death, saying they are 'completely devastated' and will miss the singer 'terribly'.
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 after an emergency call informing them of ‘an aggressive man who may have been under the effects of drugs and alcohol'.
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.
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Tributes have since come flooding in from fans and famous friends alike - including, now, his former bandmates.
A joint statement signed by Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan said: “We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing.
“In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say.
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“But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly.
“The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever.
“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.”
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Jedward previously shared their ‘condolences’ to Payne’s friends and family, adding: "Sending strength to Cheryl and his son Bear and all the One Direction Family. RIP @LiamPayne."
Music producer Zedd, who released single 'Get Low' with Payne in 2017, said the news was 'absolutely heartbreaking'.
"RIP Liam… I can’t believe this is real…" he tweeted.
Payne had risen to fame alongside Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Harry Styles, forming One Direction together while competing on The X Factor in 2010.
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The group eventually placed third, losing out to Matt Cardle, but went on to become one of the biggest pop groups in the world, picking up six Billboard Music Awards, seven Brit Awards, seven American Music Awards and a staggering 28 Teen Choice Awards.
But after five albums, five world tours and selling more than 70 million records worldwide, the band went on indefinite hiatus in 2016.
Payne, who was born in Wolverhampton, later embarked on a solo career, releasing his debut album LP1 - which included the singles 'Polaroid' and 'Familiar' - in December 2019.
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He had actually previously auditioned for The X Factor two years before his One Direction days, having been just 16 the first time round in 2008.
The teenager sang Frank Sinatra's 'Fly Me to the Moon' and advanced past the first round, making it to the Judges’ Houses stage.
However, judge Simon Cowell advised him to go back to school and re-audition again two years later.
Topics: Liam Payne, Music, Celebrity
Jess Hardiman