Liam Payne – former One Direction member – reportedly died aged 31

Topline

Liam Payne, an English singer who rose to fame as a member of the boy band One Direction, was found dead on Wednesday after falling at a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, multiple media outlets reported.

Important facts

Get text alerts on Forbes breaking news: We’re introducing SMS alerts to ensure you’re always on top of the most important news breaking the day’s headlines. Send an SMS “Notifications” to (201) 335-0739 or log in Here.

Important background

Payne, along with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson, was a member of One Direction – a band put together by the judges of the British show “The X Factor” in 2010. They didn’t win the season, but the group exploded after the show, doing stadium tours and a string of pop hits, including “Story of My Life” and “Best Song Ever.” The band announced that they would be taking a temporary hiatus in 2015, despite Malik having already left the band earlier in the year. Payne spoke about his battle with addiction in recent years, saying that he suffered from suicidal thoughts as a member of One Direction. Payne has had four chart-topping songs and one Billboard Top 10 hit, 2017’s “Strip That Down” featuring Quavo, in his solo career. He released his latest song “Teardrops” earlier this year. Payne also had a child with Cheryl Cole in 2017.

Further reading

CNNFormer One Direction member Liam Payne dies at 31 | CNNABC NewsEx-One Direction star Liam Payne dies after falling from hotel in Argentina: police