Liam Payne

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Lore & Background

Payne's journey began with two *X Factor* auditions. In 2008 at age 14, he sang Frank Sinatra's "Fly Me to the Moon" and was cut at judges' houses, but Simon Cowell encouraged him to return. In 2010, he sang Michael Bublé's "Cry Me a River" and was grouped with four other contestants to form One Direction. The group finished third and was signed to Syco Entertainment. Their debut single "What Makes You Beautiful" hit number one in the UK, and their first four studio albums all debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. After the band's hiatus in 2016, Payne signed with Republic Records and released his debut solo single "Strip That Down" featuring Quavo, which reached number three on the UK singles chart and number ten on the US Billboard Hot 100. His debut album *LP1* was released in December 2019. Payne also produced remixes under the pseudonyms Big Payno and Payno.

In Their Own Story

Payne struggled with substance abuse and mental illness throughout his career. On 16 October 2024, he died at age 31 after falling from a third-floor balcony at a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, while intoxicated. He had traces of multiple substances in his body. Following his death, his track "Teardrops" debuted on the UK singles chart, alongside the re-entry of 11 of his other works.

Reader's Guide

Liam Payne was born at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton on 29 August 1993, the son of infant nurse Karen Payne and fitter Geoff Payne. He had two older sisters. Born three weeks premature, he suffered frequent illnesses and had a scarred, dysfunctional kidney, requiring 32 injections daily until age four. He was heavily involved in cross-country running with the Wolverhampton & Bilston Athletics Club and took boxing lessons at age 12 due to bullying. He completed 11 GCSEs and studied music technology at City of Wolverhampton College. At age 12, he performed as Tony Manero from *Saturday Night Fever* with the Pink Productions Theatre Company and performed before 26,000 people at a Wolverhampton Wanderers match.

Did You Know?

• Payne was born three weeks premature and had a scarred, dysfunctional kidney, requiring 32 injections daily until age four.
• He auditioned for *The X Factor* twice: in 2008 at age 14 and again in 2010, when he was grouped into One Direction.
• Payne produced remixes under the pseudonyms Big Payno and Payno, remixing tracks for Cheryl and One Direction.

The X Factor Journey and Formation of One Direction

Payne auditioned for the fifth series of *The X Factor* in 2008 at age 14, singing Frank Sinatra's "Fly Me to the Moon" for judges Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole, Dannii Minogue, and Louis Walsh. He was cut at boot camp, then brought back for judges' houses, where he was cut again. Cowell encouraged him to return in two years. In 2010, he auditioned for the seventh series, singing Michael Bublé's "Cry Me a River" for Cowell, Cole, Walsh, and Natalie Imbruglia. He advanced but did not make the "Boys" category. During boot camp, he was grouped with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik to form One Direction. The group finished third on the show and was signed to Syco Entertainment in January 2011. Their debut single "What Makes You Beautiful" hit number one in the UK, and their debut album *Up All Night* debuted at number one in the US. Their next four albums—*Take Me Home* (2012), *Midnight Memories* (2013), *Four* (2014), and *Made in the A.M.* (2015)—all debuted at number one in the UK. *Midnight Memories* was the world's best-selling album of 2013, and the Where We Are Tour was the highest-grossing tour of 2014. One Direction went on indefinite hiatus in 2016.

Solo Career Achievements and Musical Output

In 2016, Payne signed with Republic Records. His debut solo single "Strip That Down" featuring Quavo, co-written with Ed Sheeran and Steve Mac, was released on 19 May 2017. It reached number three on the UK Singles Chart and number ten on the US Billboard Hot 100, earning double platinum certification in the UK and 3× platinum in the US. He followed with "Get Low" with Zedd (certified silver) and "Bedroom Floor" (certified gold). In January 2018, he collaborated with Rita Ora on "For You" from the *Fifty Shades Freed* soundtrack, which peaked in the top ten in several countries and was certified diamond in Brazil and platinum in the UK. In April 2018, he released "Familiar" with J Balvin, which peaked at number 14 in the UK and was certified platinum. His debut EP *First Time* was released on 24 August 2018. He collaborated with Jonas Blue and Lennon Stella on "Polaroid", released 5 October 2018, which peaked at number 12 in the UK and was certified platinum. His debut album *LP1* was released on 6 December 2019, debuting at number 17 on the UK Albums Chart and number 111 on the Billboard 200, and was certified gold in the UK and platinum in Canada. Over the first three years of his solo career, Payne sold over 18 million singles, 2.4 million albums, and amassed 3.9 billion streams. He produced remixes under the pseudonyms Big Payno and Payno, remixing tracks for Cheryl and One Direction.

Early Life Challenges and Athletic Background

Liam James Payne was born at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton on 29 August 1993, the son of infant nurse Karen Payne and fitter Geoff Payne. He had two older sisters named Nicola and Ruth. Born three weeks premature, he suffered frequent illnesses. Until age four, he had regular tests in hospital because doctors discovered one of his kidneys was scarred and dysfunctional. He required 32 injections in his arm morning and evening. As a student, he was heavily involved in cross-country running and joined the Wolverhampton & Bilston Athletics Club. He began boxing lessons at age 12 due to bullying from older students. He completed 11 GCSEs at St Peter's Collegiate School and studied music technology at City of Wolverhampton College. At age 12, he joined the Pink Productions Theatre Company, appearing as Tony Manero from *Saturday Night Fever*, and performed before a crowd of 26,000 at a Wolverhampton Wanderers football match.

Tragic Demise and Posthumous Legacy

Payne struggled with substance abuse and mental illness throughout his career. On 16 October 2024, he died at age 31 after falling from a third-floor balcony at a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, while intoxicated. He had traces of multiple substances in his body. Following his death, his track "Teardrops" debuted on the UK singles chart, alongside the re-entry of 11 of his other works.

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