Irish singer-songwriter Niall Horan has said he is “absolutely devastated” by the sudden death of his former One Direction band member Liam Payne.
Payne died when he fell from the third floor of the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires on Wednesday night.
Two weeks before his death, he and his partner Kate Graham attended Horan’s concert in the Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires.
Footage showed Payne and dancing and singing along to one of Horan’s song.
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In a post on his Instagram page, Horan wrote: “I’m absolutely devastated about the passing of my amazing friend, Liam. It just doesn’t feel real.
“Liam had an energy for life and a passion for work that was infectious. He was the brightest in every room and always made everyone feel happy and secure.
“All the laughs we had over the years, sometimes about the simplest of things, keep coming to mind through the sadness.
“We got to live out our wildest dreams together and I will cherish every moment we had forever. The bond and friendship we had doesn’t happen often in a lifetime.”
Horan reflected on their time together after the October 2nd concert and concluded: “I feel so fortunate that I got to see him recently. I sadly didn’t know that after saying goodbye and hugging him that evening, I would be saying goodbye forever. It’s heartbreaking.”
Horan first got to know Payne when he entered The X Factor in 2010. Guest judge Nicole Scherzinger suggested that the pair along with Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik team up together rather than try to proceed in the competition as solo singers.
The band went on to worldwide stardom before taking a break in 2016. Horan and Harry Styles went on to become huge solo stars in their own right.
An ongoing investigation – including the interview of five witnesses in an attempt to reconstruct the 31-year-old’s final hours – indicated that Payne was alone at the time of the fall. Substances were seized from his hotel room indicating alcohol and drug consumption.
Payne’s One Direction bandmates have said they are “completely devastated” by the news of his death, adding: “The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever.”
In a statement signed “Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry”, they 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. 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.”
Payne’s death has put a renewed focus on the music industry in its treatment of stars. Payne had well-documented problems with drink and drugs and also suffered from depression.
Ex-Boyzone singer Mikey Graham posted on X that it would be “a wise move for record companies to have psychologists on their books from now on in his memory as a duty of care for the vulnerability of their young talent. Fame can be very damaging especially in today’s world. Lots of money. Nobody to help. Lots of yes people. Nobody honest.”
Ed Sheeran urged people to “be kind” as he paid tribute to Payne.
Alongside a black-and-white photo of Payne smiling shared to Instagram, Sheeran wrote: “At a loss for words.
“My thoughts are with his family and loved ones, every memory I have with him is a great one, just such a heart-breaking situation.”
Robbie Williams also called for greater kindness and empathy following the death of Payne, who he described as “a handsome talented boy”.
Williams urged people to not make sudden judgments and to think before they write their thoughts on the internet, saying: “Even famous strangers need your compassion”.
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