Liam Payne and his band, One Direction witnessed a meteoric rise to fame that not many people get to experience in the music industry as quickly as they did. But it was the late 31-year-old who managed to put himself on the map by appearing on the X-Factor before One Direction ultimately became one of the biggest musical acts of this generation.
Little did Payne know that appearing on the X-Factor would change his life forever, as he not only experienced a boost in popularity due to the show but also met one of his future partners, Cheryl Cole with whom he welcomed his only child, Bear. But before things took off, it was Payne’s family that supported him and his dreams while making a huge sacrifice along the way.
Liam Payne’s career ultimately took away the valuable time he could’ve spent with his parents
On August 29, 1993, Karen and Geoff Payne welcomed their third child, Liam Payne, before which they parented two girls, Nicola and Ruth. In 2017, the superstar singer revealed that he came from humble beginnings but had a great childhood regardless (via The Telegraph).
Geoff was a fitter, who assembled machinery while Payne’s mother was a nursery nurse in Wolverhampton, their hometown. The award-winning musician told The Times, a UK-based newspaper, that his father was responsible for encouraging him to do something with his gifted voice, which is why he auditioned at the X-Factor at the age of 14.
After a failed first attempt, Geoff helped Liam promote his music with CDs and “carrying speakers around” before making a second appearance on the X-Factor to belt out Cry Me A River by Michael Bublé.
Liam Payne didn’t make it far the second time around either, but Simon Cowell, a judge on the X-Factor at the time, brought together five boys and named them One Direction. Since day one, the band gained a ton of popularity and then Liam barely got time to visit his home.
In the One Direction: This Is Us documentary, Karen claimed that she knew he would find success, but she never expected him to become as big as he did. She claimed he went from being her “little boy” to “the boy in a magazine”. His father also said he missed valuable moments every father would dream of having with their son (via PEOPLE).
Liam Payne’s family left “heartbroken” after his death
The fact that Liam Payne isn’t among us in this world is quite heartbreaking, especially since he was only 31 years old with years of success awaiting him in the future. On October 16, 2024, it was reported that Payne died after falling off his hotel balcony (via PEOPLE).
Payne was put up at the Cash Sur hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he stayed in a room on the third floor. It was recently revealed that Payne sustained “polytrauma” and “internal and external hemorrhage” (via USA Today).
According to PEOPLE, a statement was issued by the family to multiple news outlets as they claimed they were “heartbroken” by the incident. They added,
Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny, and brave soul… We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.
Geoff had visited the hotel where Liam passed away (via BCC). The Payne patriarch interacted with a few fans and also read letters that were placed around a tree at the Casa Sur hotel.
One Direction: This Is Us can be rented on AppleTV.
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