Eva Rinaldi

British boy band One Direction played a concert at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion. Member Liam Payne was one of the music world’s losses in 2024.

Liam Payne is a 2024 Song of the Day Tribute outlier. He died young.

Payne was 31 years old when he died October 16 after falling from his third-floor balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Liam Payne gained fame as a member of the English boy band One Direction. He joined Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik at the suggestion of a judge on the British music show “X Factor.”

By 2011, they were one of the hottest musical acts in the world. They claimed several firsts: the first English group to have their first album debut at No. 1 one in the U.S.; the first boy band in U.S. chart history to record two No. 1 albums in the same calendar year.

However, the group paid for their success. Payne blamed part of his alcohol problem on being stuck in hotel rooms while touring, with only a mini-bar to keep him company.

One Direction took a permanent hiatus in 2016.

Payne’s solo career was just OK. He continued to fight his substance abuse problem, even spending 100 days in rehab.

After Payne fell from the balcony, the initial autopsy showed he had a mix of substances in his system, including methamphetamine, ketamine, MDMA, cocaine, benzodiazepine and crack. Five people have been indicted for various crimes related to his death.

Payne co-wrote many One Dimension songs, including “Little Black Dress.” The song was on their “Midnight Memories” album but was never released as a single.