One Direction’s Liam Payne dead in Buenos Aires: What we know

Who was Liam Payne and how has he died at the age of 31?

Liam Payne, a former member of the hit band, One Direction, has died at the age 31 in an incident in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Payne is understood to have fallen from his third-storey balcony of CasaSur Hotel in the Palermo neighbourhood of the city. According to authorities, it is as yet unknown whether Payne’s death was accidental, down to foul play or suicide.

Local emergency services confirmed his death, which has left fans and fellow artists in shock.

One Direction, which disbanded in 2015, had 29 hits on Billboard’s Hot 100 and, as of 2020, had sold more than 70 million records worldwide, making it one of the best-selling “boy bands” in history.

Payne, the youngest of three siblings, was born in Wolverhampton in the West Midlands area of the United Kingdom. He studied music technology at the City of Wolverhampton College, laying the foundation for his future career in the music industry.

At the age of 14, Payne made his debut on the reality music competition TV show, The X Factor, in the UK in 2008 but did not make it past the initial stages. Undeterred, he returned two years later, delivering a powerful rendition of “Cry Me A River” that won the judges over.