Harry Styles is paying tribute to the late Liam Payne as One Direction mourns their loss.
After Payne died at age 31 on Wednesday, his fellow 1D alum shared a heartfelt statement and reflected on his “most cherished years” performing with the group at the beginning of their respective careers.
“I am truly devastated by Liam’s passing. His greatest joy was making other people happy, and it was an honour to be alongside him as he did it,” he wrote in a statement on Instagram.
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“Liam lived wide open, with his heart on his sleeve, he had an energy for life that was infectious. He was warm, supportive, and incredibly loving,” added Styles. “The years we spent together will forever remain among the most cherished years of my life. I miss him always, my lovely friend. My heart breaks for Karen, Geoff, Nicola and Ruth, his son Bear, and all those around the world who knew and loved him, as I did. – Harry”
Payne died at age 31 on Wednesday when he fell from the third-floor balcony of his Buenos Aires, Argentina hotel room. La Nación reported that Hotel Casa Sur staff called police before the incident to report “an aggressive man that could’ve been under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”
Born Aug. 29, 1993 in Wolverhampton, England, Payne first auditioned for The X Factor at age 14 in 2008, singing Frank Sinatra’s ‘Fly Me to the Moon’. Although he was cut, Cowell encouraged him to come back two years later.
In 2010, Payne returned to the competition series and was grouped with Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik to form One Direction. Following their time on the show, the group was signed to Simon Cowell‘s Syco Entertainment.
From 2010 to 2016, the group released five albums and became a global sensation, winning seven Brit Awards and selling more than 70 million albums worldwide.
After the group went their separate ways, Payne released his lone solo album LP1 in 2019.
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