There has been an outpour of tributes for singer Liam Payne following his death in Buenos Aires on Wednesday evening. Friends, fans and fellow musicians have taken to social media to express their upset and shock.

Liam catapulted to international fame following the success of One Direction after forming on The XFactor. The show took to Instagram to share their reaction to the news.

“We are heartbroken by the sad passing of Liam Payne. He was immensely talented and, as part of One Direction, Liam will leave a lasting legacy on the music industry and fans around the world. Our thoughts are with his friends, family and all who loved him.”

 

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The singer reportedly travelled to South Africa to support former bandmate Niall Horan on his headline tour, just days before his passing, sharing pictures of their reunion to social media.

Dermott O’Leary, presenter of the XFactor, also paid tribute to Liam, reminiscing on when he first met the young singer.

“The worst news. I remember him as a 14 year old turning up to audition on The X Factor, and blowing us away singing Sinatra. He just loved to sing. He was always a joy, had time for everyone, polite, grateful, and was always humble. Sending love and prayers to his family. Dx”

Liam Payne first auditioned for the show at fourteen as a solo act, after being turned away because of his age, the singer returned two years later and thrived as part of the group One Direction.

I am shocked and saddened to hear of the death of Liam Payne. It was a pleasure to work with him on our X Factor performance. God bless Liam, thinking of all his loved ones. He will be dearly missed.🙏 pic.twitter.com/S8y3RiJWrz

— Ronnie Wood (@ronniewood) October 17, 2024

Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones posted a video of his XFactor performance with the band for the 2014 final. “I am shocked and saddened to hear of the death of Liam Payne. It was a pleasure to work with him on our X Factor performance. God bless Liam, thinking of all his loved ones. He will be dearly missed.”

 

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“I am in shock right now. Liam was always so kind to me. He was one of the first major artists I got to work with. I can not believe he is gone..” shared musician Charlie Puth on Instagram last night along with photos of the pair.  

Payne's untimely passing is trending on X with tributes surpassing two million posts in just eleven hours, with users sending their condolences to his friends, family and seven year old son Bear whom he shared with singer Cheryl. 

We are deeply saddened by the news of Liam Payne's passing. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and the many fans who loved and supported him. pic.twitter.com/5XCBUgrsqR

— Spotify (@Spotify) October 16, 2024