"Every memory I have with him is a great one": Ed Sheeran pays heartfelt tribute to Liam Payne in wake of latter's death at 31
Ed Sheeran paid tribute to One Direction singer Liam Payne after his demise and urged people to "be kind." Following the announcement by Argentine authorities that Payne died at the age of 31 after falling from the third-floor balcony of a hotel in Buenos Aires, musicians and celebrities have been paying tribute to him.
Sheeran, 33, wrote a heartfelt message for his friend on Instagram on Friday, October 18, stating that he was "at a loss for words" at his passing. Sheeran included a black-and-white picture of Payne smiling with the message,
"At a loss for words. My thoughts are with his family and loved ones, every memory I have with him is a great one, just such a heartbreaking situation. Be kind. X."
Liam Payne and Ed Sheeran shared a professional and personal relationship
Ed Sheeran had previously acknowledged Liam's death by sharing One Direction's announcement on his Instagram story and adding a red heart emoji to it on Thursday. Ed has been close to Liam and the 1D boys for a long time.
He has written four of their songs, including the number-one single Little Things from 2012. Five years later, he worked with the singer, contributing to the writing of the singer's debut solo single, Strip That Down, which became an international hit.
Liam expressed at the time how "blessed" he was that Ed had decided to collaborate with him. In a 2017 interview with Nick Grimshaw on Radio 1, he revealed,
"Honestly, I feel so blessed and honored that he wanted to write a song for me and I just want to say thank you to him I guess more than anything. It's amazing, I'm humble. The fact that he even wanted to bother working with us, spending his time."
After working together, the two stayed friends, and in another 2017 interview with Z100, Liam Payne praised Ed as a "top boy." Speaking of the same, Liam revealed,
"Obviously he wrote my first single, top boy. He's literally one of the nicest human beings around. And everyone's got either a crazy party experience or just a really nice experience. I have both."
On the other hand, according to an article published in The Mirror on October 17, the emergency services received a distress call from the hotel where Liam was staying. As per the hotel staff, Liam Payne was allegedly acting strangely and was "destroying everything in his room."
The hotel receptionist also reported him as being overwhelmed with drugs. The hotel staff further stated that Liam had a balcony in his room and that they were concerned he would hurt himself.
Shortly after this, Payne reportedly fell from the balcony. Upon further investigation, he was declared dead by the authorities. The Director of Buenos Aires public emergency medical service, Alberto Crescenti, said in a statement to Argentinian news channel TN that Payne's injuries were "incompatible with life."
