Members of 5 Seconds of Summer reflect on their friendship with Liam Payne following his death on Wednesday, October 16.
Two days after Payne died at the age of 31, the band shared a joint statement on 5SOS Instagram Stories on Friday, October 18, writing that they were “heartbroken” and “shattered” by the death of their friend.
“We love you Liam and we will never forget the impact you had on our lives,” read the post by Michael Clifford, 28, Luke Hemmings, 28, Ashton Irwin, 30, and Calum Hood, 28. “You really believed in us for we are forever grateful for that. We don’t know if we have thanked you enough.”
“You have always been so good to us. It was an honor to start our journey with you, we will never forget your presence in our lives,” the band continued. “There was such a bright light in you, we always saw it. We are so devastated that the world has extinguished that light.”
The group also shared a photo of all 9 members of One Direction and 5 Seconds of Summer posing together backstage at the concert.
One Direction and 5 Seconds of Summer in a photo shared by 5SOS on Oct 18, 2024.
5 seconds of summer/Instagram
Liam Payne Likely Obtained Drugs From Hotel Employee Before Death, Charges Could Follow: Source (Exclusive)
The group concluded their post: “We hope you’ll always sing up there,” before signing their names with the phrase “With all our love.”
5 Seconds of Summer first came to international attention just two years after forming when One Direction invited them to open their 2013 Take Me Home Tour, the boy band’s second world tour, after One Direction member Louis Tomlinson discovered them on YouTube .
The Australian band again opened for One Direction during the 2014 Where We Are Tour, playing in the US, Canada, UK and Europe. At one point in 2013, Payne and Tomlinson were business associates with 5SOS, according to Billboardalthough the pair later quit their jobs at the band’s production company in 2015.
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5SOS share a statement dated 18 October 2024 on the death of Liam Payne.
5 seconds of summer/Instagram
One Direction’s Liam Payne has died aged 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina
Payne was pronounced dead on Oct. 16 after falling several stories at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Policía Federal Argentina confirmed to PEOPLE. Argentine news channel TN was the first to report the news.
In a statement translated from Spanish, Alberto Crescenti (head of SAME, the public emergency medical system of Buenos Aires) told TN that the British artist fell in the inner courtyard of the hotel.
Payne’s friends, family members and fellow musicians have revealed their connections to the singer since his death, including fellow One Direction members, his ex Cheryl — with whom he shared 7-year-old son Bear, and his girlfriend Kate Cassidy.
On Thursday, October 17, the surviving members of the band – including Tomlinson, Harry Styles, Zayn Malikand and Niall Horan – shared a joint statement on Instagram saying they were processing “the loss of our brother”.
“We are completely devastated by the news of Liam’s death,” the post began. “In time, and when everyone is able, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved very much.”
The statement continued in part: “We will cherish the memories we shared with him forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, friends and fans who loved him with us. We will miss him terribly.”
If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Line by dialing 988, texting “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Line at 741741 or going to 988lifeline.org.
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Source: HIS Education