Niall Horan recalls final meeting with One Direction’s Liam Payne in emotional tribute

Posted On October 18, 2024October 18, 2024

Niall Horan has shared an emotional tribute following the passing of his One Direction bandmate Liam Payne.

Horan is the final member of One Direction to share a personal tribute to the late musician after Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Harry Styles also unveiled messages on October 17th. The former bandmates previously came together to initially release a joint statement.

One Direction wrote in their message: “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. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us.”

Payne passed away on October 16th after suffering a fall from a balcony at a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The singer had been in the country for over two weeks after initially deciding to travel to South America to attend a concert by Horan at the Movistar Arena in the Argentinian capital on October 2nd before electing to extend his stay.

Now, Horan has reflected on their final encounter in a new post on Instagram. “I’m absolutely devastated about the passing of my amazing friend, Liam. It just doesn’t feel real,” the Irish star began by writing. “Liam had an energy for life and a passion for work that was infectious. He was the brightest in every room and made everyone feel happy and secure,” he continued.

Reflecting on their relationship, Horan added: “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 our wildest dreams together and I will cherish every moment we had forever.”

The ‘Slow Hands’ singer also looked back at their recent meeting in Argentina, stating, “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.”

Horan signed off his message by sending his condolences to Payne’s family before writing, “Love you brother”.

One Direction’s tributes to Liam Payne

The first member of One Direction to pay a personal tribute to Payne was Louis Tomlinson. Taking to Instagram, he wrote: “I feel beyond lucky to have had you in my life but I’m really struggling with the idea of saying goodbye. I’m so grateful that we got even closer since the band, speaking on the phone for hours , reminiscing about all the thousands of amazing memories we had together is a luxury I thought I’d have with you for life. I would have loved to share the stage with you again but it wasn’t to be.”

Tomlinson also promised that he would be there for Payne’s seven-year-old son, Bear, stating, “I want you to know that if Bear ever needs me, I will be the Uncle he needs in his life and tell him stories of how amazing his dad was.”

Zayn Malik was the next member of the band to honour Payne, admitting, “I can’t help but think selfishly that there was so many more conversations for us to have in our lives. I never got to thank you for supporting me through some of the most difficult times in my life.”

In addition to praising Payne as the “most qualified” member of One Direction, Malik stated: “I lost a brother when you left us and can’t explain to you what I’d give to just give you a hug one last time and say goodbye to you properly and tell you that I loved and respected you dearly.”

Furthermore, Harry Styles wrote of his late friend: “Liam lived wide open, with his heart on his sleeve, he had an energy for life that was infectious. He was warm, supportive, and incredibly loving. The years we spent together will forever remain among the most cherished years of my life. I will miss him always, my lovely friend.”

Styles concluded his message by sending his love to Payne’s family while they grieve the loss of their relative.

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