The singer reportedly died after falling from a hotel in Argentina, according to Good Morning America and La Nacion.
Born in Woverhampton, England, Payne got his start in the music industry as a competitor on “The X Factor” in 2008, when he was cut from the show.
He returned two years later and was put in a group alongside Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik. They placed third on the show, and were subsequently signed to Simon Cowell’s Syco Entertainment.
As a member of One Direction, Payne scaled the heights of global fame. The group is considered one of the highest-selling boy bands of all time, and has sold more than 70 million records worldwide.
After a strong run from 2010 to 2016, the quintet announced it would embark on an indefinite hiatus, which led to all five singers branching off to start solo careers.
In 2017, he debuted as a solo singer with “Strip That Down” featuring Migos member Quavo, cracking the top 10 in the United States and peaking at No. 3 in his native U.K.
He released his debut album “LP1” in Dec. 2019, reaching No. 17 in the U.K. Earlier this year, he put out his latest single “Teardrops,” accompanied by an acoustic version.
Payne was open about his struggles with drinking and suicidal thoughts, and just last year he stated that he had completed more than three months of sobriety.
“I’m sober now, over 100 days,” he told IFL TV. “I feel amazing, I feel really, really good and the support from the fans has been really, really good, so I’m super happy.”
More updates to come…
