Liam Payne passed away this week, aged 31.
The former One Direction star died after falling from a balcony in Argentina, local police say.
Tributes have been pouring in for the singer since his passing on October 16th.
Here’s a look back at his life and career, from his first audition on the X Factor to the birth of his son, to his solo venture.
2008: Liam auditions for the X Factor for the first time
Liam auditioned for the fifth series of The X Factor aged just 14, singing Frank Sinatra’s ‘Fly Me To The Moon’.
He succeeded in making it to Boot Camp, only to be cut. Simon Cowell then changed his mind and decided to bring Payne back for Judges Houses.
It was there that teen Liam was told he had great potential and to come back to the show in two years.
2010: Liam returns – and One Direction is formed
Liam re-auditioned for the show two years later, singing ‘Cry Me a River’ by Michael Bublé. He progressed to Boot Camp but failed to make it to Judges Houses.
However, after some consideration from the judges, Liam was asked if he wanted to form a group with fellow soloists Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, and Louis Tomlinson.
The boys accepted and One Direction was formed.
The group amassed a considerable following during this time, eventually making it to the X Factor final. They finished third, after Matt Cardle and Rebecca Ferguson.
2011: 1D mania commences
Soon after X Factor, One Direction were signed to Simon Cowell’s label and released their first single, ‘What Makes You Beautiful.’
Their first album, Up All Night, debuted at number one in Ireland and number two in the UK. The group soon embarked on their first tour in Ireland and the UK, later adding dates in Australia and North America.
The following year, One Direction became the first ever UK band to have their debut album reach number one in America. During this time, Liam dated former X Factor dancer Danielle Peazer.
2012 – 2013: Breaking records
The band continued to reach massive heights as they secured their status as a global phenomenon, while Liam emerged as the group’s highest earner alongside Louis.
He also started dating his childhood friend, Sophia Smith; a relationship that lasted two years.
Their second studio album, Take Me Home, shot to number one in the UK and US, making them the first boy band in US chart history to record two number-one albums in the same calendar year.
The following year in 2013, Midnight Memories became the best-selling album worldwide with 4 million copies sold, while their next world tour, Where We Are, was the highest-grossing tour of the following year.
It is still the highest-grossing tour of all time by a vocal group.
2015: Solo projects loom
Following yet another successful album, Four, Zayn Malik decided to leave the band. In 2015, 1D released their first – and likely final – album without Zayn, Made in the AM.
Zayn’s departure left Liam covering the majority of his vocals both on and off stage, and the pressures of a shifting dynamic in the group led to an indefinite break in 2016.
At the time, the band stated that they were going on hiatus, and were not splitting up. Liam said: “So glad everything has been cleared up today and ur support with it is amazing not that we could ever expect anything less your amazing.”
Prior to this, Liam had started to dabble in solo producer work under the name Big Payno. He remixed some of Cheryl Cole’s tracks and wrote some songs for her own solo projects, while also collaborating with artists like Pharrell Williams and Juicy J.
2016: Strip That Down
In 2016, Liam and Cheryl began dating and later welcomed a son together, Bear. The star later said that he had always wanted to be a young father.
“I had my son at a young age, and you think it will be a magical thing, that you’re going to grow up one day into the person you’re supposed to be,” he said.
“But it took a lot to find my footing. I figured, Dad takes care of everyone, that’s what he does.”
Payne also signed to his first solo label and released his debut single, ‘Strip That Down’ in 2016.
The track reached number 10 on Billboard and number 3 in the UK and was deemed a commercial success. He continued to release singles like ‘Bedroom Floor’ and ‘For You’ ahead of the impending release of his first album, which was delayed multiple times.
2018: Cheryl split
Liam and Cheryl announced their split in 2018, with a statement saying it had been “a tough decision for us to make”.
“We still have so much love for each other as a family,” they said. “Bear is our world and we ask that you respect his privacy as we navigate our way through this together.”
The pair continued to co-parent their son until Liam’s passing.
2019: LP1 and Naomi
Liam’s debut solo album, LIP1, was eventually released towards the end of 2019, receiving mixed to negative reviews.
The record was clearly influenced by Justin Timberlake and Usher, and blended pop, RnB, and trap genres. LP1 debuted and stayed at number 111 on the US Billboard chart.
In the same year, Liam briefly dated supermodel Naomi Campbell. The pair split within a few months.
2020: Engagement
Liam got engaged to YouTuber Maya Henry in August 2020 after meeting two years previous. They split the following year following cheating allegations, only to reunite in 2021 and get engaged again.
2022: Maya split and Logan Paul controversy
Liam and Maya eventually ended their tumultuous relationship in 2022.
Maya later took legal action against the singer, claiming that he continued to contact her and her family from different iCloud accounts after she asked him to stop.
In June of 2022, Liam appeared on Logan Paul’s podcast and made some serious claims against his former band mates and the formation of the band in general.
He admitted that he didn’t get on with Louis and that he disliked Zayn for “many reasons.” He also described ex Cheryl as “the best mum in the world”.
The interview led many to believe Liam was intoxicated at the time of recording, due to his previous struggles with alcohol abuse.
2023: A second album?
In the summer of 2023, Liam announced that he was working on his second solo album, and that he had more creative control over this record.
He planned tour dates towards the end of the year, but these were postponed after Payne was hospitalised with a kidney infection.
The star also shared that he was almost six months sober after spending 100 days in rehab.
2024: Tragic passing
Payne died after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina on October 16, 2024.
He had been staying in Buenos Aires with his current girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, at the time of the incident. Liam had been spotted attending former bandmate Niall’s solo gig a week or so previous.
An official cause of death has, at the time of writing, not been released.
