SEVEN years as a member of One Direction propelled Liam Payne to global stardom.
But 14 years after Simon Cowell first united the five young strangers including Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Harry Styles, the pop star tragically died in Argentina.
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The 31-year-old was in Buenos Aires for Horan’s tour when he tragically plunged from the third floor of his hotel balcony, TMZ reports.
Liam stole the nations heart when he auditioned for The X Factor back in 2008, as well as Cheryl‘s who was on the judging panel.
Liam James Payne was born August 29, 1993, to mum Karen, a nursery nurse, and Geoff Payne, a fitter.
His early childhood was not particularly easy as he was born with a scarred and dysfunctional kidney.
Up until the age of four he was forced to undergo regular test and to help cope with the pain, he had 32 injections in his arm in the morning and evening.
Pictures from that time show an adorable and cheeky looking little boy and in one snap from the family album he can be seen winking at the camera.
Other photographs from his family album show he had musical talent from an early age as he was pictured with a mic.
Liam has previously revealed that he was bullied at secondary school but after taking up boxing lesson he soon grew out of any puppy fat.
He made his debut as a singer when he auditioned for The X Factor in 2008.
After being eliminated as a solo artist he auditioned again in 2010 and was put into a group with four other contestants to form One Direction.
The band went on to sell 70 million records worldwide making them one of the most successful boybands of all time.
They parted ways in 2015 when they went on a hiatus.
Liam got together while Cheryl was going through her divorce to second husband Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini at the beginning of 2016.
Despite their age difference they looked completely infatuated with each other when the couple made their red carpet debut at Cannes in May 2016.
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Liam even paid a sweet tribute to his girlfriend by getting a tattoo of her eye on his arm.
The pair welcomed their baby on March 22, 2017.
The Sun revealed in May 2017 that the couple named their son Bear.
However in February 2018, The Sun broke the story that Liam’s constant travelling to promote his solo career had placed a huge strain on the relationship.
Tributes to Liam Payne
SHOCKED fans have started to flood Liam Payne’s last Instagram post with sad tributes as news of the singer’s death emerges.
Charlie Puth, who was friends with Liam and also collaborated with him on a song called Bedroom Floor, has posted a series of Instagram stories dedicated to him.
Alongside photos of the two of them together in their younger days, Charlie wrote: “I am in shock right now. Liam was always so kind to me.
“He was one of the first major artists I got to work with. I can not believe he is gone…
“I am so upset right now, may he rest in peace. I am so sorry…”
German DJ Anton Zaslavski, otherwise known as Zedd, has taken to X with a devastated statement.
The producer, who worked with Liam on his 2017 hit Get Low, wrote: “RIP Liam… I can’t believe this is real…absolutely heartbreaking…”
Irish singer duo Jedward also took to social media, saying: “RIP Liam Payne. Condolences to friends and family.”
In another tweet, they added: “Sending strength to Cheryl and his son Bear. And all the One direction Family. RIP Liam Payne.”
American media personality Paris Hilton shared: “So upsetting to hear the news of Liam Payne passing. Sending love and condolences to his family & loved ones. RIP my friend.”
By July 2018, Cheryl and Liam made the decision to split.
Payne released his debut solo album LP1 in December 2019 which included the singles Polaroid and Familiar.
However the Wolverhampton-born singer seemed to struggle with life outside the band.
Liam was brutally honest about his health issues in recent years.
He admitted that he spent time in a US wellness clinic after he “hit rock bottom”.
He also told how a mystery respiratory illness left him floored in 2021.
Liam admitted turning to alcohol and drugs to hide how he struggled to cope with One Direction’s dizzying levels of fame — which would spark panic attacks and high levels of exhaustion.
In 2021, he blamed a “pills and booze phase” for bloating his face to “ten times the size”, while also revealing he used to guzzle the contents of his mini bar when band chiefs checked the lads into hotels to keep fans at bay.
He came across as erratic in interviews by making bizarre claims, including that Cowell built One Direction around his talents and that his solo career has been the most successful of all his bandmates.
Inside Liam Payne and Cheryl’s romance
By Joanne Kavanagh
IT was a romance that caused a media storm.
One Direction hunk Liam Payne was in a relationship ship X Factor judge Cheryl.
The pair – who have a ten-year age gap – got together while Cheryl was going through her divorce to second husband Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini at the beginning of 2016.
Despite their age difference they looked completely infatuated with each other when the couple made their red carpet debut at Cannes in May 2016.
Liam even paid a sweet tribute to his girlfriend by getting a tattoo of her eye on his arm.
In 2017, Liam and Cheryl welcomed their baby.
Cheryl posted a picture on Instagram of Liam cradling their 7lb 9oz baby.
She captioned the sweet snap with: “On Wednesday Liam and I became parents to an incredibly beautiful, healthy baby boy looking like a dream.”
One pal told The Sun: “Cheryl gave birth to a baby boy on Wednesday, and both are doing well.
“Liam didn’t leave Cheryl’s side throughout the birth, and like her, he is besotted with their new son and can’t wait to take him home.
“This is the perfect Mother’s Day for Cheryl.”
The Sun revealed in May 2017, that the couple named their son Bear.
They decided on the unusual name after spending a week getting to know him.
Bear adopted his One Direction star dad’s surname, so he is called Bear Payne.
A source revealed: “Cheryl and Liam wanted to get to know [their son] before they decided on the name.
“They didn’t have the name Bear before the birth.
“But they’d been thinking of a name since meeting him and they just felt it suited him.”
In February 2018, The Sun broke the story that Liam’s constant travelling to promote his solo career had placed a huge strain on the relationship, and they were ready to split.
That same month, Cheryl declared that “none of it matters” as she shrugged off questions about her crumbling romance with Liam during a BBC Breakfast interview.
They then put on a united front together at the Brit Awards, where they smiled on the red carpet and Cheryl joked about the couple’s ‘safe word’.
However, by July 2018, Cheryl and Liam made the decision to split.
A pal told The Sun: “Cheryl and Liam worked really hard on their relationship – they had troubles earlier this year and were able to get through them.
“But they’re in different stages of their lives and, after a lot of careful thought, came to a decision that it’s best for everyone if they do go their separate ways.”
Liam and Cheryl then released a statement confirming their break-up.
They posted a message on social media that read: “We are sad to announce that we are going our separate ways. It’s been a tough decision for us to make.
“We still have so much love for each other as a family. Bear is our world and we ask that you respect his privacy as we navigate our way through this together.”
Liam also made strange comments about his romance with Cheryl, saying their split was partly down to their son Bear.
Since breaking up with Cheryl, Liam’s love life had been just as turbulent as his health worries.
He was linked to supermodel Naomi Campbell, 54, in 2019.
And he had an on-off, three-year relationship with ex-fiancée Maya Henry which was said to have ended for good in May last year.
Then pictures emerged of him with his arms around American modeL Aliana Mawla.
He had an on-off, three-year relationship with ex-fiancée Maya Henry which was said to have ended for good in May, 2022.
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