One Direction member was 31

Liam Payne, one of the five members of The X Factor boy band One Direction, has died at the age of 31.

According to the Associated Press, the singer died after falling three stories from a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Alberto Crescenti, head of the state emergency medical system, said he fell into a courtyard at the Casa Sur Hotel. It is unclear whether the fall was an accident and authorities are investigating the circumstances of his death.

Payne was best known in One Direction for his recognizable falsetto vocals, which became an integral part of the band’s bubblegum pop hits – “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Best Song Ever,” “Story of My Life,” “Night Changes,” among many others. One of the best-selling boy bands in modern history, the quintet sold over 70 million records worldwide during their time together between 2010 and 2016.

Born in Wolverhampton, England, Payne got his start in the music industry in 2008 at the age of 14 as a contestant on “The X Factor.” He was eliminated from the show after judge Simon Cowell told him he was too young to continue and asked him to come back when he was older. During this audition, Payne also met Cheryl Cole, whom he has officially been dating since 2016. Cole was a judge alongside Cowell and Louis Walsh. They separated in 2018 and have one child together, Bear Gray Payne.

Payne auditioned for “The X Factor” for the second time in 2010, singing Michael Bublé’s version of “Cry Me a River,” which earned him four green lights and a standing ovation from Cowell. He was then placed in a group alongside Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik by judge Nicole Scherzinger. They placed third on the show and were subsequently signed by Cowell’s Syco Entertainment.

The world was first introduced to One Direction through video diaries produced and distributed by The X Factor. Through these “diaries,” fans began to identify the members and their personalities and tropes, with Payne considered the most responsible or “brotherly” member of the group. They were coached by Cowell and a team of vocal coaches at “The 2011 to 2013.

One Direction announced an indefinite hiatus in 2016, just a year after Malik became the first member to leave the band to pursue a solo career. Payne signed a solo record deal with Capitol Records UK in July 2016 (Republic Records served as Payne’s US-based record label). In 2017, he began releasing music as a solo act, starting with the single “Strip That Down” featuring Migos member Quavo. The song, co-written by Ed Sheeran, cracked the top 10 in the US and peaked at number 3 in her home country of the UK. In December 2019, he released his debut album “LP1” and previously peaked at number 17 in the UK. This year he released his latest single “Teardrops”, accompanied by an acoustic version.

Payne has been open about his struggles with alcohol and suicidal thoughts, revealing just last year that he had been sober for more than three months. “I’ve been sober for over 100 days now,” he told IFL TV. “I feel great, I feel really, really good and the support from the fans has been really, really good, so I’m super happy.”

Payne was not married. He is survived by his 7-year-old son, Bear Gray Payne.