Three days after Liam Payne suddenly died at age 31, he was honored in the “In Memoriam” segment at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
The annual event — honoring the likes of Cher, Mary J. Blige, Ozzy Osbourne and Peter Frampton — was held on Saturday, October 19, at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland.
In between acceptance speeches, the Hall of Fame paid tribute to performers who had died in the past year. The ceremony, broadcast live on Disney+, included Payne in the round-up.
A photo of Payne, taken during One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful” music video shoot, was flashed on the screen alongside his name and “One Direction.” Ceremony attendees cheered in the moment.
Payne, who was one-fifth of the seminal British boy band of the 2010s, died earlier this week. Us Weekly confirmed on Wednesday, October 16, that the singer had fallen to his death from a third-floor balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. A preliminary autopsy report viewed by Us revealed that Payne died from “multiple injuries involving ‘internal and external hemorrhage,’” and was believed to be in a “state of semi or total unconsciousness” at the time of the fall.
Payne is survived by his parents, Geoff and Karen, his two older sisters, Ruth and Nicola, and his 7-year-old son, Bear. (Payne shared Bear with his ex Cheryl Cole.)
“As I try to navigate this earth-shattering event and work through my own grief at this indescribably painful time, I’d like to kindly remind everyone that we have lost a human being,” Cole, 41, wrote via Instagram on Friday, October 18, sharing a photo of Payne holding a then-infant Bear. “Liam was not only a pop star and celebrity, he was a son, a brother, an uncle, a dear friend and a father to our 7-year-old son. A son that now has to face the reality of never seeing his father again.”
As his family continues to mourn Payne’s death, his father traveled to Argentina on Friday. He was seen visiting a fan-made vigil outside the hotel where Payne died, even kissing a photograph of his only son. Geoff was joined by former One Direction tour manager Paul Higgins.
Payne is also remembered by the music industry, including his self-described 1D “brothers” of Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik. (The band, put together by Simon Cowell on The X Factor UK in 2010, went on an indefinite hiatus six years later in 2016.)
“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,” the remaining members of One Direction wrote in a statement earlier this week, signed in age order. “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.”
Devoted One Direction fans are also paying tribute. In addition to the vigil in Argentina, others formed their own in New York City, Chicago, London and Payne’s native Wolverhampton, England, respectively, on Saturday, October 19.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony is available to stream on Disney+.
