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Beloved One Direction star Liam Payne was honoured at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony this weekend following the singer’s death at the tender age of 31.
On Wednesday, tragedy struck as Payne fell from a third-floor balcony at his hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. An initial autopsy report later concluded that he died of multiple traumas and ‘internal and external haemorrhage’.
In the aftermath of Payne’s death, devastated fans have shared fond memories and emotional tributes on social media, reminiscing on Payne’s career after he achieved superstardom off the back of The X Factor in 2010.
Joining them in remembering the Strip That Down hitmaker – who is survived by seven-year-old son Bear – the annual event’s memorials at Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse gave him a special mention.
An image of Payne, taken in 2011 when 1D was just hitting the big time having released their debut single, appeared on the screen.
As it did, the auditorium erupted into cheers and applause.
The Ohio ceremony went on to induct stars such as Ozzy Osbourne, Mary J. Blige, and Peter Frampton, while performers included Kelly Clarkson, Dua Lipa, Cher, and Keith Urban.
Meanwhile, an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Payne’s ‘inconclusive death’ and the events that led to the tragedy is ongoing.
Payne’s father, Geoff, arrived in the Argentine capital city yesterday, joining mourners at a vigil as he prepares to organise the repatriation of his only son’s body.
Wolverhampton-born singer Payne has been remembered by countless fans and A-listers in recent days, with his bandmates Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Harry Styles penning devastating tributes.
‘We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing,’ the boyband, who went on hiatus in 2015 following Malik’s departure from the five-piece, wrote in a joint statement.
They added: ‘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.’
Former X Factor mentor Simon Cowell also shared an emotive message, as did ex-partner Cheryl, with whom Payne shares his little boy.
Elsewhere, The Wanted held a minute-long silence in Payne’s memory during their Niagara Falls concert.
Max George told the crowd: ‘Yesterday, we found out the tragic news about someone that we knew personally — Liam Payne — and yeah and obviously shockingly heartbreaking.
‘Our thoughts and prayers go out to him, his friends, family and fans all over the world.’
He went on to praise Payne for being ‘really, really supportive’ when bandmate Tom Parker was diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour, of which he sadly died in 2022, aged 33.
The Glad You Came singer remembered Payne being ‘the first person to put his hand up and say that he wanted to perform’ when the group announced a fundraiser in aid of Parker.
‘He was amazing… and even after Tom passed, you know, he came to Tom’s funeral, and he was extremely supportive to all of us, even though we hadn’t really been sort of friends,’ added Max sweetly.
‘We knew each other up until Tom [died]. We became friends and he really, really supported us and we’ll never, ever forget that.’
Payne was famously and bravely open when it came to his own struggles, having shared with fans in the past about his mental health and addiction problems.
The Familiar vocalist had arrived in Argentina on September 30 with his girlfriend of around two years, Kate Cassidy, and close friend Roger Nores.
Shortly before he died, Payne attended bandmate Niall’s gig.
His girlfriend left South America to return home on Monday, with Payne having been due to join her after renewing his ‘extraordinary achievement’ documents to continue living in Florida with her.
It’s been reported that Payne’s visa was initially refused because his history of substance abuse required him to undergo psychiatric and medical tests.
This forced him to remain in Argentina for longer than planned.
After being given a clean bill of health, Payne was due to collect his renewed visa at the embassy just two days after he died.
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