Father of One Direction Star Payne Arrives in Argentina

Tributes to Liam Payne, a former One Direction band member, are seen at the Hard Rock Cafe in Piccadilly Circus, in London, Britain, October 18, 2024. (Reuters)
Tributes to Liam Payne, a former One Direction band member, are seen at the Hard Rock Cafe in Piccadilly Circus, in London, Britain, October 18, 2024. (Reuters)
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Father of One Direction Star Payne Arrives in Argentina

Tributes to Liam Payne, a former One Direction band member, are seen at the Hard Rock Cafe in Piccadilly Circus, in London, Britain, October 18, 2024. (Reuters)
Tributes to Liam Payne, a former One Direction band member, are seen at the Hard Rock Cafe in Piccadilly Circus, in London, Britain, October 18, 2024. (Reuters)

The father of One Direction pop singer Liam Payne, whose death in a fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires shocked the music world, arrived in Argentina on Friday, police sources told AFP.

Geoff Payne landed in Buenos Aires at 6:00 am, the source said.

The source did not say whether he would visit the morgue where the body of his son, the 31-year-old member of one of Britain's most successful pop groups of recent years, is being kept pending the results of toxicological tests.

Payne suffered "multiple traumas" and "internal and external hemorrhaging" after falling from the balcony of his room on the third floor of the Casa Sur hotel in central Buenos Aires on Wednesday night, an autopsy found.

The autopsy suggested he had not tried to stop his fall and was in a state of "semi or total unconsciousness" before his death.

The singer, who had spoken publicly about struggles with alcohol and coping with fame from an early age, was alone at the time and appeared to be "going through an episode of substance abuse," prosecutors said.

He was found dead after hotel staff called emergency services twice to report "a guest who is overwhelmed by drugs and alcohol, and destroying his room," according to leaked audio.

Tributes to the singer have been pouring in since Wednesday.

His former One Direction bandmates, Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik, said they were "completely devastated" by his death.

Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood, the Backstreet Boys and NSYNC also offered their condolences, as did British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Payne was in Argentina to attend a concert by Niall Horan.

Argentine media published photos which they said showed the interior of his hotel room, with white powder on a table next to a piece of aluminum foil and a lighter, and a television with a broken screen.

Fans have left a mound of letters, flowers and pictures of the singer at a makeshift shrine to him outside the hotel in Palermo district.

"I feel like it's a part of adolescence lost," said Lena Duek, 21.



One Direction Singer Liam Payne Dead after Falling from Buenos Aires Hotel Balcony

FILE - One Direction members, from right, Liam Payne and Harry Styles perform on ABC's "Good Morning America" at Rumsey Playfield/SummerStage on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2015, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - One Direction members, from right, Liam Payne and Harry Styles perform on ABC's "Good Morning America" at Rumsey Playfield/SummerStage on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2015, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)
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One Direction Singer Liam Payne Dead after Falling from Buenos Aires Hotel Balcony

FILE - One Direction members, from right, Liam Payne and Harry Styles perform on ABC's "Good Morning America" at Rumsey Playfield/SummerStage on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2015, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - One Direction members, from right, Liam Payne and Harry Styles perform on ABC's "Good Morning America" at Rumsey Playfield/SummerStage on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2015, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)

Former One Direction singer Liam Payne was found dead after the 31-year-old fell from his third-floor room balcony at a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentine police said on Wednesday.
Police said in a statement that they were called to the CasaSur hotel in the capital's leafy Palermo neighborhood after being notified of an "aggressive man who could be under the effects of drugs and alcohol", reported Reuters.
When they arrived, the hotel manager reported he had heard a loud noise from the inner courtyard and the police found that a man had fallen from the balcony of his room, the statement said.
In audio related to the case obtained from the Buenos Aires security ministry, a worker can be heard asking for police help.
"When he is conscious he is destroying the entire room and we need you to send someone," the worker said, adding that the guest's life was at risk because the room had a balcony.
Shooting to global fame as part of one of the best-selling boy bands of all time, Payne - like his band mates Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson - went on to pursue a solo career after they went on an "indefinite hiatus" in 2016. Payne's last single was "Teardrop", released in March this year.
While many of the details surrounding the circumstances of his death remain unclear, Payne had spoken publicly about his struggles with mental health and using alcohol to cope with the pressures of fame.
His death led to an outpouring of grief from music industry stars and fans, including those among the crowd who gathered outside the hotel.
Violeta Antier said she had come straight away after being told Payne had died.
"I saw him two weeks ago at a Niall (Horan) concert, another One Direction member. He was there, I saw him," she said.
"He was ok."
Payne attended an Oct. 2 concert by Horan in Buenos Aires. The two had posted videos together and with fans.
American singer Charlie Puth was among those expressing their grief.
"I am in shock right now. Liam was always so kind to me," he said on Instagram. "He was one of the first major artists I got to work with. I cannot believe he is gone."
Payne auditioned for the British version of X Factor for a second time in 2010 at the age of 16 and was put into a group with his future band mates by music mogul Simon Cowell.
Cowell told Rolling Stone in a 2012 interview that he'd "always backed" Payne at the time of his first audition in 2008 but he didn't quite make it because he had been too young.
"But I always knew that with confidence he would be a valuable member of this band, so I had no hesitation in bringing him back," he said.
The band may have finished third in X Factor that year but it went on to have more than 29 hits on Billboard's Hot 100 with six in the top 10, including "What Makes You Beautiful", "Story of My Life" and "Live While We're Young".
Payne's co-writing credits include "Story of My Life" and "Night Changes".
He teamed up with Rita Ora on the 2018 song "For You" and released his first studio album LP1 in 2019.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Payne's One Direction and solo career helped garner him a net worth of some $70 million.
Payne had a son named Bear with British TV personality and Girls Aloud singer Cheryl.
Last year, he published a video to fans on his YouTube channel in which he spoke about his family, making new art and performing again after having given up alcohol. He thanked supporters for sticking with him through difficult times.
Earlier on Wednesday, Payne had appeared to post on Snapchat about his trip in Argentina, talking about riding horses, playing polo, and looking forward to returning home to see his dog.
"It's a lovely day here in Argentina," he said in the video.