“12 Things You Didn’t Know About Liam Payne”: Inside the Dark Truths Behind the One Direction Star’s Tragic Fall

Liam Payne, the English pop singer who rose to global fame as a member of One Direction, has tragically passed away at the age of 31.

Payne was reportedly found dead after a fall from the third floor of a hotel on Costa Rica Street in the Palermo district of Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday. The circumstances surrounding his death remain under investigation, but an inquest in the UK later confirmed the cause as “polytrauma.”

As fans around the world mourn his sudden passing, here are 23 things to know about the late star whose voice helped define a generation.

1. Liam James Payne was born on 29 August 1993 in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England, at New Cross Hospital.
2. He was the youngest child of Karen Payne, an infant nurse, and Geoff Payne, a fitter. He had two older sisters, Nicola and Ruth.
3. Born three weeks premature, Liam suffered numerous early health challenges. He was diagnosed with a scarred and dysfunctional kidney, requiring constant medical attention. “I had sixteen injections in my arm every morning and another sixteen every evening,” Payne once recalled.
4. Despite his health struggles, Payne was a dedicated athlete. He joined Wolverhampton & Bilston Athletics Club, where he became one of the top 1500m runners in his age group nationally.
5. At age 12, he took up boxing as a means to cope with bullying in school.
6. He attended St Peter’s Collegiate School, completing 11 GCSEs, and later studied music technology at City of Wolverhampton College.
7. Payne’s passion for performance began young. At 12, he joined the Pink Productions Theatre Company, starring as Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever. He once performed in front of 26,000 fans during a Wolverhampton Wanderers football match.
8. Payne first auditioned for The X Factor in 2008 but failed to progress. Two years later, he returned, and judge Simon Cowell grouped him with four other contestants—Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, and Zayn Malik—to form One Direction.
9. The band skyrocketed to fame, becoming one of the best-selling boy bands of all time before going on hiatus in 2015.
10. Payne embarked on a solo career, signing with Republic Records in North America. His debut single, Strip That Down (2017), reached No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, earning platinum certifications in both countries.
11. In 2019, he released his debut album LP1. Within three years, Payne had sold over 18 million singles and 2.4 million albums, and amassed nearly 4 billion streams globally.
12. He also released remixes under the aliases Big Payno and Payno, collaborating with artists including former partner Cheryl.

Liam Payne’s musical legacy and personal resilience continue to inspire millions. Fellow One Direction members and fans across the globe have paid heartfelt tributes to a voice and soul taken far too soon.