Fans and friends have paid tribute to Liam Payne on social media, calling his death “heartbreaking”.

Singer Liam Payne was one of five members of the hugely popular boy band from 2010 to 2016. Since One Direction announced their hiatus in March 2016, Payne has pursued a solo career with the platinum-certified single Strip That Down and a studio album.

Liam Payne performing in 2019

As family, friends and fans grieve the sudden passing of Liam Payne, here’s a look back at the life and career of the talented singer.

Liam Payne was born on August 29, 1993 in Wolverhampton, England. “My childhood was very peaceful but I didn’t have much money,” he shared with British newspaper The Times in 2019. “I first appeared on The X Factor when I was 14. It was my dad who pushed me to do it. I did it because of him,” the singer revealed.

Although his initial audition in 2008 did not result in a place on The X Factor , Payne returned in 2010 to audition for the judges – this time performing Cry Me a River . He progressed to the next round and was later paired by judge Simon Cowell with Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson to form One Direction.

Liam Payne auditioned for The X Factor in 2010

The five-piece went on to become one of the best-selling boy bands of all time, touring the world and winning numerous awards including the BRIT Awards, VMAs and American Music Awards. At the 2012 Olympic Games in London, the band performed their hit song What Makes You Beautiful during the closing ceremony.

One Direction went on to release three more albums: Up All Night , Take Me Home , and Midnight Memories . In 2015, Malik left the group, and the remaining four members continued to make music, releasing two more albums before going on an indefinite hiatus in 2016.

Liam Payne welcomed his son Bear Grey on March 22, 2017, with then-girlfriend Cheryl Cole of Girls Aloud. Although the singer and Cheryl split in July 2018, he revealed in a 2022 interview with People that he still sees Bear every week. “I was so happy to have my son. It’s a moment I’ll never forget for the rest of my life and it’s my most memorable moment to date,” he said of his son’s birth.

“My son needs me in his life, he needs a father and he’s happy that he sees me as a superhero. I hope it continues to be that way. That’s important,” Payne said.

During an appearance on the podcast Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware in November 2018, Cheryl shared that she and Payne have always agreed to keep their son away from social media.

Liam Payne and son Bear Grey

Bear once spotted Payne on a giant billboard in London promoting the singer’s single Teardrops . Payne shared the sweet father-son moment on Instagram, recording Bear’s words in the caption: “I want to be on a billboard someday, Dad.”

After One Direction went on hiatus, each member pursued solo careers. Liam Payne’s debut album LP1 , released in 2019, featured the best-selling single Strip That Down . He has sold over 23 million singles and 3 million albums in his solo career.

Liam Payne shared that at the height of One Direction’s popularity, he turned to “drugs and alcohol” to cope with the pressure and had suicidal thoughts. In 2023, Payne announced that he had just completed 100 days in a rehab center in Louisiana (USA), thanking Sheryl Cole and his son Bear for giving him the opportunity to recover.

Before Liam Payne passed away, he and Cassidy were still together.

He also had some relationship troubles. His on-again, off-again relationship with fiancée Maya Henry ended in 2022 after rumors of infidelity. In May 2024, Henry published the novel Looking Forward , which describes a very erratic boyfriend that she said was based on her own experiences. Shortly before Payne died, Henry sent a letter demanding that all ties with Payne be ended, accusing him of obsessive contact and harassing phone calls.

The singer was first spotted with influencer Kate Cassidy at a Halloween party in October 2022. The Daily Mail shared photos of the two entering a restaurant dressed as iconic 1990s couple Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson.

Cassidy made her relationship with Payne official during a trip to Rome the following month, posting photos of the two hugging in front of a mirror.

5 members of the extremely famous boy band One Direction from 2010 to 2016

They hit the red carpet in December 2022, attending the British Fashion Awards together. Under Cassidy’s Instagram post from their date, Liam Payne commented: “Who is that lucky, handsome young man next to you. Seriously, you look amazing, I can only tell you that because you’re sitting on the sofa next to me.”

Liam Payne and Cassidy were still together at the time of his death. She appeared in his last social media post, a Snapchat story of the couple taking a mirror selfie.