Liam Payne’s family, friends and former bandmates came together to pay tribute to the One Direction star at his funeral in England on Wednesday, a month after the singer died at 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina.
Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson, who accompanied Payne on his rise to superstardom as part of one of Britain’s biggest ever boybands, each attended the service in Amersham, northwest of London.
A horse-drawn carriage carried Payne’s dark blue casket to the flint stone church, which was decorated with white roses and candle holders. Two floral tributes adorned the top of the white carriage, one reading “son” and the other “daddy.” Payne’s parents watched, his mother weeping, as the late singer’s casket was carried inside.
After the service, music mogul Simon Cowell – who masterminded the group’s formation on British reality show “The X Factor” in 2010 – consoled Payne’s mother and father.
Wednesday’s funeral capped a stunning and ultimately tragic story that had captivated a generation of music fans. One Direction toppled chart records that had stood since The Beatles’ legendary run in the 1960s, and inspired the revival of the boyband in popular culture.
The singer died on October 16 after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Payne had alcohol, cocaine, and a prescription antidepressant in his system, according to the country’s public prosecutor’s office, which launched an investigation. Three people are facing preliminary charges for crimes related to his death.
