The death of who shot to stardom as a member of British boy band and grappled with intense global fame while still in his teens, sent shockwaves across the world Thursday as Argentine investigators continued their investigation at the scene.

Fans, music-industry figures and fellow musicians paid tribute to Payne, 31, who died after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina.

As fans and media bombarded the Casa Sur Hotel in the trendy Palermo neighborhood of ArgentinaB次元官网网址檚 capital, the forensics unit worked inside on Thursday collecting evidence.

The Buenos Aires police said they found PayneB次元官网网址檚 hotel room B次元官网网址渋n complete disarray,B次元官网网址� with packs of clonazepam, a central nervous system depressant, as well as energy supplements and other over-the-counter drugs strewn about and B次元官网网址渧arious items broken.B次元官网网址� They added that a whiskey bottle, lighter and cellphone were retrieved from the internal hotel courtyard where PayneB次元官网网址檚 body was found.

The day before, police said that Payne B次元官网网址渉ad jumped from the balcony of his room,B次元官网网址� without elaborating on how they came to that conclusion. The Associated Press could not confirm details of the incident, as the investigation is ongoing. The medical examinerB次元官网网址檚 office said it was conducting an autopsy.

Police said they had rushed to the hotel Wednesday in response to an emergency call just after 5 p.m. local time that had warned of an B次元官网网址渁ggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.B次元官网网址�

A hotel manager can be heard on a 911 call recording obtained by The Associated Press saying the hotel has B次元官网网址渁 guest who is overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol B次元官网网址� HeB次元官网网址檚 destroying the entire room and, well, we need you to send someone, please.B次元官网网址� The managerB次元官网网址檚 voice becomes more anxious as the call goes on, noting the room has a balcony.

Payne was known as the tousle-headed, sensible one of the quintet that went from a TV talent show to a pop phenomenon with a huge international following of swooning fans. In recent years he had acknowledged struggling with alcoholism, saying in a YouTube posted in July 2023 that he had been sober for six months after receiving treatment. Representatives for Payne did not immediately return emails and calls.

Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood, who performed with One Direction in 2014, said he was B次元官网网址渟hocked and saddened.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淕od bless Liam, thinking of all his loved ones. He will be dearly missed,B次元官网网址� Wood wrote on X.

Paris Hilton also sent condolences on X, saying the news was B次元官网网址渟o upsetting.B次元官网网址� The Backstreet Boys said in a social media post that their hearts go out to B次元官网网址淒irectioners around the world.B次元官网网址�

Dozens of One Direction fans flocked to the Casa Sur Hotel after the news broke, forming lines that spilled into the cordoned-off street outside, where police stood sentinel. Forensic investigators were seen leaving the building, from where PayneB次元官网网址檚 body was removed around three hours after the fall. Young women filming with their cellphones expressed shock and heartbreak as a makeshift memorial with rows of candles and bouquets quickly grew.

B次元官网网址淚 didnB次元官网网址檛 think he was going to die so young,B次元官网网址� 21-year-old Isabella Milesi told the AP.

Payne was one of five members of One Direction, which formed after each auditioned for the British singing competition B次元官网网址淭he X FactorB次元官网网址� in 2010, two years after PayneB次元官网网址檚 first attempt to get on the show. Aged 16 the second time around, Payne sang Michael Bubl茅B次元官网网址檚 version of B次元官网网址淐ry Me a River,B次元官网网址� appearing nervous at the start but warming up with the audienceB次元官网网址檚 cheers and applause.

After each singer failed to make it through the competition as a solo act, Simon Cowell and his fellow judges combined Payne, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson into what would become one of the most successful boy bands ever B次元官网网址� even though they lost the competition.

Each member had his own persona, with Payne B次元官网网址� who hailed from Wolverhampton in EnglandB次元官网网址檚 West Midlands region B次元官网网址� known as the responsible one. The band became known for their pop sound and romantic hits including B次元官网网址淲hat Makes You Beautiful,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淣ight ChangesB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淪tory of My Life.B次元官网网址�

Payne had prominent solos on songs including B次元官网网址淪tole My HeartB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淐hange Your Ticket,B次元官网网址� co-writing several of the bandB次元官网网址檚 hits. One Direction had six Top 10 hits on the Billboard charts by the time they disbanded in 2016 and a highly loyal fan base, known as B次元官网网址淒irectioners,B次元官网网址� many of them teen girls.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e always loved One Direction since I was little,B次元官网网址� said 18-year-old Juana Relh, another fan outside PayneB次元官网网址檚 hotel. B次元官网网址淭o see that he died and that there will never be another reunion of the boys is unbelievable, it kills me.B次元官网网址�

With his meteoric rise to fame, Payne had said that it took some time to adjust to life in the public eye.

B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 think you can ever deal with that. ItB次元官网网址檚 all a bit crazy for us to see that people get in that sort of state of mind about us and what we do,B次元官网网址� he said in a 2013 interview with the AP after recounting an experience where a fan was in a state of shock upon meeting him.

One Direction announced an indefinite B次元官网网址渉iatusB次元官网网址� in 2016, and Payne B次元官网网址� like each of his erstwhile bandmates B次元官网网址� pursued a solo career, shifting toward EDM and hip-hop.

While Styles became a huge solo star, the others had more modest success. PayneB次元官网网址檚 2017 single B次元官网网址淪trip That Down,B次元官网网址� featuring Quavo, reached the Billboard Top 10, and stayed on the charts for several months. He put out in 2019, and his last release B次元官网网址� a single called B次元官网网址淭eardropsB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� was released in March.

In 2020, to mark the 10th anniversary of One Direction, Payne shared a screenshot of a text message he sent to his father on the day he joined the group, which read: B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 in a boyband.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淲hat a journey B次元官网网址� I had no idea what we were in for when I sent this text to my dad years ago at this exact time the band was formed,B次元官网网址� he wrote.

Payne had a with his former girlfriend, the who was known as Cheryl Cole when she performed with Girls Aloud. She was an B次元官网网址淴 FactorB次元官网网址� judge during One DirectionB次元官网网址檚 season, although their relationship began years later.

Payne was previously engaged to Maya Henry, from August 2020 to early 2022. Henry released a novel earlier this year that she said was based on their relationship.

In addition to his son, he is survived by his parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, and his two older sisters, Ruth and Nicola.