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Sheeran: 'Every memory I have with Liam is a great one'

Updated / Friday, 18 Oct 2024 11:40
Ed Sheeran: "My thoughts are with his family and loved ones"
Ed Sheeran: "My thoughts are with his family and loved ones"

Ed Sheeran has urged others to "be kind" as he paid tribute to Liam Payne following his death aged 31.

Musicians and famous faces have been remembering the singer after police in Argentina said he died falling from the third-floor balcony of a hotel in Buenos Aires.

Payne rose to fame as part of One Direction, who went on to become a global sensation after they finished third on The X Factor in 2010.

Alongside a black-and-white photo of Payne smiling shared to Instagram, Sheeran wrote: "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 heart-breaking situation. Be kind. X"

Former Take That member Robbie Williams also called for greater kindness and empathy following Payne's death.

The former Take That member, who performed during the 2010 X Factor final with One Direction, posted to Instagram on Friday: "I met the boys on The X Factor and 'mentored’ them. I use the word mentored in inverted brackets cos I hardly did anything to be honest. I just hung out with them. They were all cheeky and lovely."

He continued: "Our paths have crossed ever since that day and I’m fond of them all. Liam’s trials and tribulations were very similar to mine, so it made sense to reach out and offer what I could. So I did."

Williams went on to call for greater kindness and empathy, writing: "Even famous strangers need your compassion".

He added: "What a Handsome Talented boy. What a tragic painful loss for his friends, family, fans and by the looks of the energy this moment has created – The World."

Leigh-Anne Pinnock: "Everytime we crossed paths he was so lovely and humble"

Little Mix star, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, said Payne's passing is "heartbreaking".

The 33-year-old, who rose to fame in X Factor girl band Little Mix, said in a post to her Instagram story: "This is just heartbreaking.

"Everytime we crossed paths he was so lovely and humble.

"I'll never forget seeing One Direction on tour for the first time and being instantly drawn to Liam’s stage presence you could just tell he was made for that stage.

"Gone way too soon, sending all my love and deepest condolences to his family and everyone close to him."

RTÉ News' Dimitri O'Donnell reports on the life and career of Liam Payne.

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Payne rose to stardom aged 16 after forming boy band One Direction on The X Factor in 2010 alongside Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Harry Styles, having returned to the ITV show two years after his first audition.

Styles’ mother Anne Twist posted a broken-hearted emoji on Instagram, captioning it: "Just a boy."

Dermot O’Leary, who hosted The X Factor during both of Payne’s appearances, shared a photograph of the pair on stage, captioning the Instagram post: "The worst news".

"I remember him as a 14-year-old turning up to audition on The X Factor, and blowing us away singing Sinatra. He just loved to sing," he wrote.

"He was always a joy, had time for everyone, polite, grateful, and was always humble."

The X Factor has said Payne will "leave a lasting legacy on the music industry".

"We are heartbroken by the sad passing of Liam Payne," The X Factor's official account on X, formerly Twitter, wrote alongside a photo of the star.

"He was immensely talented and, as part of One Direction, Liam will leave a lasting legacy on the music industry and fans around the world.

"Our thoughts are with his friends, family and all who loved him."

Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood remembered performing alongside Payne and One Direction for a performance of the boy band’s track Where Do Broken Hearts Go on The X Factor in 2014.

"I am shocked and saddened to hear of the death of Liam Payne. It was a pleasure to work with him on our X Factor performance," Wood wrote on X.

"God bless Liam, thinking of all his loved ones. He will be dearly missed."

Singer Olly Murs, who starred on The X Factor a year before One Direction, said he was "lost for words", describing Payne’s death as "devastating" on Instagram.

"We always had a good laugh when we saw each other, sometimes the catch ups were only short and sweet but when we did it was mostly about how annoyingly good his hair always looked, or our love for Becks, the old XF (X Factor) days and the tour we shared together," Murs wrote beside a picture of the pair.

"Liam shared the same passions as me, the same dreams so to see his life now end so young hits hard, I’m truly gutted and devastated for his family and of course his son Bear losing a dad."

Payne and Girls Aloud singer Cheryl share a son Bear, born in 2017, having been in a high-profile relationship between 2016 and 2018.

Liam Payne and Cheryl share son Bear, born in 2017

The Wanted star Max George said he met Payne while he was on The X Factor with One Direction, describing his death as "absolutely devastating news".

"Over the last few years I had the pleasure of getting to know him personally and spent some treasured time with him," he said on Instagram.

"Liam was absolutely wonderful in terms of support when Tom (Parker) fell ill, performing at the Royal Albert Hall with us for Stand Up To Cancer.

"He supported me a lot personally after Tom passed. I will never forget that."

Payne attended the funeral of Parker, who died in March 2022 at the age of 33 after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour.

US singer Charlie Puth, a co-writer on Payne’s 2017 song Bedroom Floor, said he was in "shock" after Payne’s death.

"Liam was always so kind to me," he posted on Instagram, alongside a collection of photos of the pair working together.

"He was one of the first major artists I got to work with. I cannot believe he is gone… I am so upset right now, may he rest in peace."

Rylan Clark said Payne’s death was "so tragic" on X, while fellow former X Factor contestants Jedward sent their love to Cheryl, his son Bear and "all the One Direction family".

Socialite Paris Hilton also paid tribute on X, calling the singer’s death "so upsetting", while BBC Radio 2 presenter Zoe Ball said "devastating news, dear Liam Payne".

DJ and music producer Zedd, who featured alongside Payne on the 2017 song Get Low, called the singer’s death "absolutely heartbreaking".

American singer and rapper Ty Dolla Sign said he will "miss" Payne, captioning videos and pictures on his Instagram story: "Just talked to you two days ago my guy."

Fellow boy band the Backstreet Boys also paid tribute, saying their hearts go out to "Directioners around the world".

A statement on X added: "Words can not express the emotions we are collectively feeling right now, and it seems like the rest of the world is in the same boat."

A number of industry bodies joined those paying tribute, including streaming giant Spotify, MTV and the Brit Awards who all said in separate statements that they are "deeply saddened" by Payne’s death.

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