Liam Payne died on October 16. On Wednesday, the late singer's family members, friends and fans gathered to honour him at a memorial service. Among the attendees were Liam's former One Direction bandmates Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, and Niall Horan. Several pictures and videos show the members breaking down in tears. Liam's girlfriend Kate Cassidy was also present at the venue. Also present was his ex-partner, Cheryl, the Girls Aloud singer, who shares a 7-year-old son, Bear Grey, with him.
Additionally, the late singer's friend James Corden and One Direction co-creator Simon Cowell, who played a key role in launching the band's career on The X Factor in 2010, were there. Cowell was accompanied by his fiancee, Lauren Silverman. The funeral was held in a 12th-century church located in the English countryside, northwest of London.
Liam Payne died after falling three floors from a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was 31. Alberto Crescenti, head of the state emergency medical system, said that he fell into a courtyard at Casa Sur Hotel. The National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor's Office confirmed to People that an autopsy revealed 25 injuries were "compatible with those caused by a fall from a height". They noted that "the head injuries were sufficient to cause death", along with internal and external haemorrhages in various parts of his body including "the skull, thorax, abdomen and limbs". According to La Nación, hotel staff had previously contacted the police regarding an "aggressive man who may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol."
Born in Wolverhampton, England, Liam Payne first gained attention as a contestant on The X Factor in 2008 but was eliminated. He returned two years later, joining Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik to form One Direction, which finished third on the show and was subsequently signed to Simon Cowell's Syco Entertainment. During their active years from 2010 to 2016, One Direction became one of the most successful boy bands in history, selling over 70 million records globally.