Liam Payne’s One Direction bandmates have shared emotional memories and sweet throwback snaps to honor the singer following his tragic death at the age of 31.
Liam died on Wednesday after falling from the third floor of the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, after flying into the country to attend Niall Horan’s concert.
Harry Styles, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson all paid tribute to their late ‘brother’ on their personal Instagram, after the band revealed in a joint statement that they were ‘completely devastated’ by the loss.
Zayn, who left the band in 2015, shared a candid photo of him and Liam sleeping on top of each other during the band’s tour.
Meanwhile, Louis shared his own heartbreaking tribute with a photo of him and Liam on stage in London in 2015, a year before the group went on hiatus.
Liam Payne’s One Direction bandmates have shared emotional memories and sweet throwback snaps following the singer’s tragic death at the age of 31 (Liam and Zayn pictured)
Harry Styles, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson (pictured with Liam in 2015) all took to their personal Instagram to pay tribute to their late ‘brother’, after the band revealed in a statement that they were ‘completely devastated’ by the loss.
Liam died on Wednesday after falling from the third floor of the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, after flying into the country to attend Niall Horan’s concert (One Direction photo 2010)
While Harry posted a photo of Liam on stage performing in front of a huge arena of fans.
“His greatest joy was making other people happy, and it was an honor to stand next to him as he did that.
‘Liam lived an open life, with his heart on his sleeve, he had a life energy that was contagious.
“He was warm, supportive and incredibly loving. The years I spent together will forever be some of the most cherished years of my life. I will miss him always, my dear friend.
‘My heart breaks for Karen Geoff, Nicola and Ruth, his son Bear and everyone around the world who knew and loved him as I did.’
It comes after fellow 1D star Louis shared his own heartbreaking tribute to Liam just hours earlier.
He said he was “extremely devastated” by his friend’s death, and said he will “always be an uncle” to the late singer’s eight-year-old son, Bear.
‘I’m devastated as I write this, but yesterday I lost a brother. Liam was someone I looked up to every day, such a positive, funny and kind soul.
‘I first met Liam when he was 16 and I was 18. I was immediately amazed by his voice, but more importantly, as time went on I got the chance to see the kind brother I’d looked up to all my life desired.
‘Liam was an incredible songwriter with a great sense of melody. We often talked about going back into the studio together to try to recreate the writing chemistry we had built in the band.
In a statement shared on Instagram, Louis said he was “extremely devastated” by his friend’s death, and that he will “always be an uncle” to the late singer’s eight-year-old son, Bear.
“And just to be clear, 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.
“A message for 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 am so grateful that we have become even closer since bonding, talking for hours on the phone and reminiscing about the thousands of wonderful memories we had together is a luxury I thought I would have with you for life.
‘I would have liked to share the stage with you again, but that was not to be.
“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 about how great his dad was.
“I wish I had the chance to say goodbye and tell you one more time how much I loved you. Payno, my boy, one of my best friends, my brother, I love you buddy. Sleep well X.’
Louis shared the moving post along with a photo of himself and Liam together at a gig in 2015, before One Direction announced their hiatus the following year.
In his tribute, Zayn wrote: “I lost a brother when you left us and can’t explain to you what I would give to hug you one last time.”
It came after the band broke their silence to share a joint statement following Liam’s death, saying they were ‘completely devastated’ by Liam’s death.
Just minutes later, Zayn Malik also took to social media to share his own lengthy tribute, with a sweet photo of himself and Liam sleeping together.
He wrote: “Liam, I find myself talking out loud to you, hoping you can hear me. I can’t help but think selfishly that we could still have so many conversations in our lives.
‘I could never thank you for your support during the most difficult times of my life.
“When I was missing home as a 17-year-old child, you were always there with a positive attitude and a reassuring smile, letting me know that you were my friend and that I was loved.
‘Even though you were younger than me, you were always wiser than me. You were stubborn, opinionated and didn’t give a fuck about telling people they were wrong.
“Even though we’ve butted heads a few times over this, I’ve always secretly respected you for it.
“When it came to music, Liam, you were the most qualified in every way. I knew nothing in comparison, I was a novice kid, with no experience and you were already a professional.
“I was always happy to know that no matter what happened on stage, we could always rely on you to know which way to turn the ship next.
‘I lost a brother when you left us and I cannot explain to you what I would give to give you one last hug and to say goodbye to you in a proper way and to tell you that I love you very much loved and respected you.
‘I will forever hold all the memories I have with you in my heart, there are no words that can justify or explain how I feel right now other than how devastated I am.
“I hope that wherever you are now, you are well and at peace and know how loved you are. I love you, brother.”
It came after the band broke their silence to share a joint statement following Liam’s passing, saying they were ‘completely devastated’ by his death.
“In due time, and when everyone is able, there will be more to say,” they said.
“But for now, we will take time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, whom we loved dearly.
“The memories we shared with him will be cherished 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 – Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry.’
Argentina’s prosecutor’s office revealed earlier today that Payne, 31, may have been “semi-conscious or completely unconscious” when he fell from a hotel balcony.
The star collapsed from the third floor of the Casa Sur Hotel courtyard in the Argentine capital yesterday, before medics confirmed his death.
Detectives confirmed that a range of substances had been seized from the hotel room ‘indicating a previous situation of alcohol and drug use’.
Niall looked devastated on Thursday as he was photographed for the first time since Payne’s death.
Liam fell from the third floor of the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday, dying instantly from multiple injuries
The This Town hitmaker, who was seen seeing Liam at a concert in Argentina just days before his death, was joined by his girlfriend Amelia Woolley as they strolled around London.
Prior to Payne’s death, hotel staff frantically called 911 about “an aggressive male possibly under the influence of drugs or alcohol” who was “destroying his room.”
Hotel guests claimed to hear “violent noises” and assumed construction work was going on in the room, according to the BBC.
Photos have also emerged from his luxury suite, which appear to show a destroyed television, surfaces covered in aluminum foil and white powder, as well as scorch marks on the wooden surface.
According to a preliminary report into the pop star’s death, “all indications” were that Payne was alone when he died.
Prosecutors have taken five statements from witnesses, including from two women who were with Payne the night before he died.
Police were searching for the duo after identifying them as ‘key witnesses’ before the One Direction star’s hotel balcony fell.