The shocking news of former One Direction star Liam Payne’s death emerged exactly six years after his last visit to Australia.
According to TMZ, the British singer, 31, fell from the third floor of a hotel in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires on Wednesday night.
Several witnesses told the publication that Payne had fallen from his balcony at the CasaSur Palmero Hotel shortly after 5 p.m.
The devastating news comes almost six years to the day Payne performed at Australia’s richest race day, Everest, in Sydney on October 15, 2018.
Taking to the stage that day for an exclusive 45-minute concert, the pop star delighted her excited fans with a mix of her solo tracks and former One Direction’s greatest hits.
While on stage, he sang his own solo songs Bedroom Floor and Strip That Down, while revisiting his hits from One Direction, History, Little Things and Drag Me Down.
Most spectators had their phones in their hands trying to record a glimpse of the international artist, and then posted parts of his performance on social media sites.
Despite the rainy weather, Strip That Down put on a high-energy show as they danced confidently in a white t-shirt.
The shocking news of former One Direction star Liam Payne’s death emerged six years after his last visit to Australia.
In 2013, Payne and his One Direction bandmate Louis Tomlinson delighted fans once again when they spent time in Australia with the boy band.
The duo surprised excited fans while going surfing at Whale Beach in Sydney.
The boys were soon bombarded by screaming female fans as they began to emerge from the water.
Payne rose to fame in 2010 on XFactor with his former bandmates Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson.
Payne performed at Australia’s richest race day, Everest, in Sydney in October 2018.
Payne was previously in a relationship with British pop sensation Cheryl Cole and the couple welcomed their son Bear Gray on March 22, 2017.
Local media reported Wednesday night that Payne had fallen from his room at the Hotel CasaSur Palmero shortly after 5 p.m. on Wednesday.
Emergency services are believed to be present outside the hotel, where a red tent has been set up on site.
Investigations into the death of the 31-year-old man are ongoing.
Spokesman for the city’s ambulance service, Alberto Crescenti, said he had fallen about 40 meters and suffered “serious injuries that were incompatible with life.”
He said: ‘The alarm was raised at 5:04 pm local time saying that a person was lying in an internal courtyard of Casa Sur.
‘At 5:11 pm an ambulance arrived and the man was certified dead.
‘Later we discovered that he had been a famous singer. Unfortunately, the injuries he had suffered as a result of the fall proved fatal. There was no possibility of resuscitating him.’
Taking to the stage for an exclusive 45-minute concert, the pop star delighted her excited fans with a mix of her solo songs and the former One Direction’s greatest hits.
The Night Changes singer had recently been spotted attending his former bandmate Niall Horan’s concert in the country earlier this month.
She initially auditioned for the X Factor in 2008, when she was just 14, and impressed the judges with her own version of Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me To The Moon.
However, Payne gave his singing career another shot by auditioning for the competition again in 2010, where he quickly rose to fame as part of One Direction.
He and his former bandmates Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson were brought together by Simon Cowell and former judge Nicole Scherzinger, who saw their potential as a group.
After a few weeks of getting to know each other and rehearsing non-stop, the group impressed Simon at their audition for Judge’s Houses and moved on to the live shows.
Payne (second from right) poses with members of his band One Direction, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson in 2011.
Pop Svengali later admitted to Rolling Stone that it took him “about a millionth of a second” to spot the group’s global potential.
Fan reaction was also instant, and 1D’s hysteria soon overshadowed the show. Despite the adoration, the band eventually finished third on the X Factor, but soon after Cowell sealed their fate by signing all five to a £2 million Syco contract.
Eager to capitalize on the boys’ already devoted fan base, Cowell moved quickly with recording the band’s debut album beginning in January 2011.
In September of that year, One Direction’s first single was released, with What Makes You Beautiful reaching number one on the UK Singles Chart, after becoming Sony Music Entertainment’s most pre-ordered single in history.
Their debut album, Up All Night, was also a bestseller, becoming the best-selling debut album in the UK in 2011, and the record led to their first tour which began in the UK in December.
After Malik announced his departure from the band in 2015, the band went their separate ways.
In the photo: The CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires where Payne died.
During their time as a band, One Direction won five Brit Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, racked up over three billion YouTube views and sold 50 million records worldwide.
After releasing five albums with one of the biggest boy bands of all time, Liam released his first solo album titled LP1 in 2019.
His single Strip That Down co-written with Ed Sheeran rose to number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart that same year.
Throughout her music career, the pop star collaborated with artists such as J Balvin, French Montana, Dixie D’Amelio and A Boogie Wit da Hoodie.
He was previously in a relationship with British pop sensation Cheryl Cole and the couple welcomed their son Bear Gray on March 22, 2017.
MailOnline has contacted Liam Payne’s representatives for comment.
There has been an outpouring of tributes online, with former XFactor contestant Jedwad writing: ‘RIP Liam Payne. Our deepest condolences to his friends and family.’
They added: ‘Sending strength to Cheryl and her son Bear, and the entire One Direction family.’
Paris Hilton wrote: “Very upsetting to hear the news of Liam Payne’s passing. Sending love and condolences to his family and loved ones. RIP my friend.
Stephen Bartlett wrote: “I can’t believe what I’m reading about Liam Payne. Absolutely heartbreaking.”
MTV released the following tribute: “We are deeply saddened to learn of the tragic passing of Liam Payne today. During this difficult time, our hearts remain with his family, his loved ones and his fans.”