"Thank you for everything, Payno" — Niall Horan pays tribute to Liam Payne, feels "fortunate" to have seen former bandmate recently
Niall Horan recently took to Instagram to pay homage to his One Direction bandmate Liam Payne. On October 16, Payne was pronounced dead on the scene after he fell from his third-floor room in a Buenos Aires hotel. A preliminary autopsy report revealed the late musician suffered internal and external injuries from the fall that led to his death.
On October 18, Horan uploaded a picture of him with Payne taken during the band's heydays. In the image, Horan is seen carrying Payne on his back. The next image included a message from Horan paying tribute to his bandmate.
“I’m absolutely devastated about the passing of my amazing friend, Liam. It just doesn’t feel real. Liam had an energy for life and a passion for work that was infectious. He was the brightest in every room and always made everyone feel happy and secure,” the message read.
Horan said the two shared a bond that didn't often happen in a lifetime. He also expressed that he was "fortunate" to have met Payne just weeks before his untimely death, concluding by giving his condolences to Payne's family and seven-year-old son.
“I feel so fortunate that I got to see him recently. I sadly didn’t know that after saying goodbye and hugging him that evening, I would be saying goodbye forever. It’s heartbreaking. My love and condolences go out to Geoff, Karen, Ruth, Nicola and of course his son Bear. Thank you for everything, Payno. Love you brother,” the tribute concluded.
On October 17, One Direction's Instagram page broke its four-year-long hiatus to pay homage to Liam Payne with a message honoring the late singer signed by the remaining four band members.
Liam Payne was at Niall Horan's show in Argentina two weeks before his death
On October 2, videos of Liam Payne dancing, singing, and snapping pictures with fans during Niall Horan's show at the Movistar Arena in Argentina were circulated on X, TikTok, and Instagram. The two One Direction members reunited backstage for a picture after the show, which Horan mentioned in his tribute post.
Niall Horan's tribute to Liam Payne came after his fellow bandmates, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik, also paid tribute to him on Instagram. Tomlinson said Payne's death left him "beyond devastated." He also called his late band member "the most vital part of One Direction.”
“Liam was an incredible song writer with a great sense of melody, we often spoke of getting back in the studio together to try and recreate the writing chemistry we had built up in the band," Tomlinson said.
In Zayn Malik's post, he regretted that he never got the opportunity to thank Liam Payne for being by his side during some of the toughest events of his life. Malik added that Payne also made him feel better when he was homesick when they were teenagers.
Harry Styles called Liam Payne "warm, supportive, and incredibly loving" who lived "wide open, with his heart on his sleeve." Other celebrities who paid tribute to Liam Payne included Charlie Puth, Rita Ora, Olly Murs, Zedd, and Jade Thirlwall.
On October 16, Liam Payne fell to his death from his hotel room balcony in Buenos Aires minutes after hotel staff called emergency services about a guest "off his head on drugs and alcohol."
According to the BBC, Argentinian police claimed that Payne's room had been trashed with “various items broken.” The police also found alcohol, medication, and a cell phone, among other items, in his room.
They also stated that they believed the late singer was alone in his room when the incident happened, suggesting no one else was involved in the fall.
