One Direction Tragically Loses A Founding Member

Liam Payne, formerly part of the X Factor boy band group One Direction, passed away on the 16th of October, a little over a month and a half after his 31st birthday. Payne’s death was confirmed by Argentinan authorities a few hours after the hotel he was staying at called local authorities.

Payne had gone to Argentina with his partner, Kate Cassidy, to see former bandmate Nial Horne perform. Cassidy had left the country two days before returning to her home in the US, while Payne had remained in South America at the Buenos Aires Hotel in Palama.

Shortly before the singer/songwriter’s death, an unidentified employee of the hotel called the local authorities to complain about excessive noise from Payne’s room. The caller seemed to suggest that Payne had been drinking and using narcotics. Video footage from the incident, unconfirmed, shows Payne outside his window. Currently, it remains unclear if this was an intentional action or attributed to alcohol or drugs.

Substance Abuse, The Downfall of Icons

Before his death, Payne had previously spoken about his issues with addiction, in particular his early days as a member of the then-most famous boy band on the planet. Payne recalled frequent drug use and suicidal thoughts, as revealed in an interview with Diary of A CEO;

“It was a problem, and it was only when I saw myself after that I said ‘I need to fix myself.’ There’s a few pictures of me on a boat and I call it ‘pills and booze face’….I just didn’t like myself very much then, and I made a change. The problem we had in the band, and I don’t blame anybody for this…the best way to secure us because of how big it got was just lock us in our rooms. And of course, what’s in the room? Mini-bar. So I just thought, ‘I’ll have a party for one!’. And this just seemed to carry out for many years of my life…”

It should be noted that at this time, Payne’s death as the result of alcohol and narcotics is unconfirmed, though a likely suspect in the cause of death. Whilst many have expressed sympathy or grief at his passing, Liam Payne should not be recalled for the manner of his death but for his contribution to the history of music.

Whether you loved them or loathed them, One Direction was at one time a global phenomenon of the 2010s. In just three decades of life, Payne has left a lasting legacy that will be remembered. We hear at Project SAM express sympathy and our thoughts to the close friends and family of Liam Payne (29/08/93 -16/10/

If you or someone you know is suffering from substance abuse, please seek help from both friends and professionals.