Reuters
NOS News•today, 07:55•Changed today, 09:38
Hundreds of One Direction fans gather in Buenos Aires at the hotel where Liam Payne died. The British former One Direction singer died after falling from the third floor. He was 31 years old.
Local authorities say he jumped from the balcony of his room. Payne may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol, Argentine police say. It is not clear whether it was an accident or whether it was intentional.
Fans gather around the hotel in the Palermo district and light candles. Many are in tears. “We couldn’t believe it,” one of the fans told Reuters.
There is a call among Dutch fans to commemorate the singer at 1 p.m. at Utrecht Central Station.
‘Arrived immediately’
Another fan chimes in The Guardian that they will remain outside for a long time. “I am sad and shocked. As soon as I heard the news I came straight away. I have been a member of the Argentinian One Direction fan club for ten years. I will certainly be staying in front of the hotel for hours.”
Police arrived around 8 p.m. to control the crowd. Payne’s body was taken in a fire van. The fans applauded and cried as the van drove away.
Payne was in Argentina to attend a concert by fellow One Direction member Niall Horan earlier this month. Other ex-members of the band were also at that concert. A spokesperson for the emergency services said that a report was made around 5 p.m. that a person had fallen in the courtyard of the hotel.
“My heart is broken,” one fan told The Guardian. “I saw him at Niall’s show a few weeks ago. He was singing and dancing and jumping.”
Least attention
Liam Payne rose to fame at the age of 16 when he joined the programme The X Factor was put into a boy band by jury member Simon Cowell. One Direction immediately became a big hit, music journalist Atze de Vrieze explains NOS Radio 1 News.
“They became big not only in England, but very quickly in the US and worldwide. They also filled the Johan Cruijff Arena in the Netherlands. Their fan base has always remained very loyal, even after they broke up,” says De Vrieze . After the band broke up in 2016, the members released solo albums – but not all of them were equally successful. Harry Styles became the most successful.
“Others do not have mainstream fame, but can sell out a Ziggodome due to that loyal fan base. This was different with Liam. He received the least attention during his time with One Direction, because he could not retain the target group,” explains De Vrieze. out.
Drugs and alcohol
Payne was also troubled by alcohol and drugs and often disappeared from the radar in recent years. Things have been different lately, as stories surfaced of his exes sharing stories of violence and abuse in their relationship. The last thing that came out about him is that he attended a Niall Horan concert.
“Some fans there thought that he was too present and that he had stolen the attention from his ex-colleague. He was clearly under the influence and behaved very strangely. In the hotel just before his death it also appears that there was aggression and drug use. It is not clear whether he jumped or fell. But it is certain that he was not doing well.”
Fans light candles in front of the hotel:
Fans light candles in Buenos Aires after Liam Payne’s death
Other members of One Direction, such as Zayn Malik and Harry Styles, have not yet commented on Payne’s death.
Artists such as Charlie Puth and Shawn Mendes react in shock about the death. Harry Styles’ mother shared a photo of Payne with the caption “Just a boy…”.
Hundreds of fans in mourning after Payne’s shocking death
