The Wanted led their fans in a minute’s applause for the late Liam Payne on Thursday night.
The One Direction star died instantly after falling from the third-floor balcony of a hotel in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires, on Wednesday.
The following night, British boy band The Wanted paid tribute to their old friend while performing at the Avalon Theater in Niagara Falls, Canada.
Band members Max George, Siva Kaneswaran, Jay McGuiness and Nathan Sykes recalled how kind and supportive he was when his former bandmate Tom Parker died of a brain tumor in 2022.
In a video of the concert shared on
The Wanted led their fans in a minute’s applause for the late Liam Payne while performing in Niagara Falls, Canada, on Thursday night.
The One Direction star died instantly after falling from the third-floor balcony of a hotel in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires, on Wednesday.
The band remembered how kind and supportive he was when his former bandmate Tom Parker (pictured) died of a brain tumor in 2022.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with him, his friends, family and fans around the world.”
He noted that the singer had been “very supportive” when they organized a fundraiser after Tom’s diagnosis.
He added: “He was the first person, the first artist who raised his hand and said he wanted to act, something we will never forget.”
“He was amazing… and even after Tom passed away, you know he came to Tom’s funeral and was so supportive of all of us, even though we hadn’t really been friends.
‘We knew each other until Tom (died). “We became friends and he really supported us and we will never forget it.”
Max and Siva then urged the audience to participate in a moment of applause for Liam, and the crowd applauded for over a minute.
The touching moment came after Max previously shared a tribute to Liam on Instagram.
He wrote alongside several photographs: ‘Absolutely devastating news. I met Liam when 1D was on X Factor.
Payne also received a special mention Saturday night when this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees were named in Cleveland, Ohio.
The One Direction star fell from the third floor balcony of the CasaSur hotel (seen in drone image)
Vigils have been held around the world in the days Payne died. One of them in Stockholm, Sweden, on Saturday.
‘Over the last few years I had the pleasure of knowing him personally and spending precious time with him.
“Liam was absolutely wonderful in terms of support when Tom became ill, performing at the Royal Albert Hall with us for Stand Up To Cancer.
‘He was very supportive of me personally after Tom’s death. I’ll never forget it.’
He added: ‘My thoughts are with his family, friends and fans around the world at this tragic time. Rest in peace Liam. Much love brother. (sic)’
Comes as:
- Liam had been ‘reworking’ his favorite One Direction song ‘Fireproof’ on his computer just hours before his death.
- He was in Argentina to renew his US visa and days before he had passed medical and psychological tests that showed he was “totally clean.”
- He was in a “good mood” and had planned to fly back home to his girlfriend Kate Cassidy in Miami on Friday.
- Her last meal was her favorite chocolate chip cookies.
Payne also received a special mention Saturday night when this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees were named in Cleveland, Ohio.
The British singer was included among the memorials at the annual event at Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
An image of Payne, taken during his early days with One Direction, was projected into the auditorium, prompting wild cheers from those in attendance.
The singer died instantly after falling 45 feet from the balcony of his third-floor hotel room to the courtyard below at 5:04 p.m. on Wednesday.
Police found drugs in his room, including “crystal,” a powerful hallucinogen that causes blackouts and psychotic episodes.
A source told MailOnline: “Where did Liam get the drugs from when he had no money?”
Payne was initially in Argentina with his girlfriend Kate Cassidy (right) before she left for the US in the days before his death.
He rose to fame with the band One Direction. He is pictured with his bandmates (left-right) Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik.
Multiple law enforcement sources have said investigators believe someone at the hotel provided him with drugs.
There have been unconfirmed reports that the hotel conducted an internal investigation and fired at least one employee.
Payne arrived in Argentina on September 30 with his girlfriend Kate and his close friend Roger Nores.
The source said: “Liam’s US visa was expiring and he had to leave the US to renew it, so he decided to go to Buenos Aires to see Niall Horan perform and get his new visa.”
But when Payne went to the US embassy in Buenos Aires last week, he discovered that officials had Googled him and discovered that he had spent several stints in drug and alcohol rehab.
‘He was ordered to have medical tests, see a doctor, do blood tests and x-rays and see a psychiatrist and all of that was done in the first week. Liam thought the trip would only last a few days but because of all the ordeals he ended up stuck there.’
LR: The Wanted stars Jay McGuiness, Nathan Sykes, Tom Parker, Max George and Siva Kaneswaran in 2021
After spending last weekend at a polo farm outside Buenos Aires, his girlfriend Kate Cassidy flew back to Miami on Monday to watch the couple’s dog while Liam checked into the CasaSur hotel.
“He had no money and his credit cards didn’t work, so he spent all his time in the room.
‘On Tuesday he ordered a McDonald’s. He was happy and in a good mood.
“The test results came back completely clear on Tuesday and he had an appointment at the embassy to have his passport stamped with the visa on Thursday and then he was going to leave Argentina immediately.”
The source said a family friend visited him around 10:00 a.m. that morning to deliver his favorite “American-style” chocolate chip cookies to a bakery three blocks from the hotel.
“He seemed a little drunk, like he had been drinking, but he wasn’t in bad shape. He was happy.
‘He was replicating Fireproof on his computer. He loved recreating instrumentals and that was his favorite One Direction song.
‘He was getting back into rhythm. He was in a good situation, planning for the future and looking forward to returning to Miami, with his girlfriend and his dog.’