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Niall Horan Remembers Liam Payne with a Touching Tribute: "Love You Brother, Nialler"
The Voice Coach is mourning his former One Direction band mate following Payne's tragic death on October 16.
One Direction's Liam Payne died Wednesday, October 16 at 31 years old. NBC News reports the star he fell from the third floor of a hotel in Argentina, according to local authorities.
One Direction members Payne, Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, and Louis Tomlinson recorded and toured together from 2010 until 2016 (Malik left the band in 2015), releasing hits like "What Makes You Beautiful," "Story of My Life," and "Best Song Ever" en route to becoming the first group to have its first four albums debut at #1 on the Billboard 200.
On October 18 Horan, a Coach on Seasons 23 and 24 of The Voice, joined his former bandmates in mourning by sharing a heartfelt tribute to Payne, sharing a throwback photo of the two and affectionately signing the message with his nickname, "Nialler."
Niall Horan's statement for Liam Payne
I'm absolutely devastated about the passing of my amazing friend, Liam. It just doesn't feel real.
Liam had an energy for life and a passion for work that was infectious. He was the brightest in every room and always made everyone feel happy and secure.
All the laughs we had over the years, sometimes about the simplest of things, keep coming to mind through the sadness. We got to live out our wildest dreams together and I will cherish every moment we had forever. The bond and friendship we had doesn't happen often in a lifetime.
I feel so fortunate that I got to see him recently. I sadly didn't know that after saying goodbye and hugging him that evening, I would be saying goodbye forever. It's heartbreaking.
My love and condolences go out to Geoff, Karen, Ruth, Nicola and of course his son Bear.
Thank you for everything, Payno.
Love you brother,
Nialler
Horan, Styles, Tomlinson, and Malik posted a joint statement on the group's Instagram account, echoing the statements made by the individual members.
"We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. In time, and when everyone is able to, 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 dearly. The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam.”
Payne was in attendance supporting his friend during Horan's recent October 2 concert in Argentina. According to reports, the 31-year-old shared a clip of Horan performing on stage to his Instagram Stories that evening, captioning that he was "so proud."
