According to Variety , many Directioners (the name of One Direction fans) gathered in front of the Peter Pan statue (the boy who never grew up in the novel by writer JM Barrie, often considered an immortal symbol of youth) in the park to place flowers, photos and messages for Liam Payne – who died on October 16 after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina. Fans spent several minutes of silence, singing One Direction (1D) hits such as Best Song Ever, What Makes You Beautiful, History.
A “sea” of people stands at the foot of the Peter Pan statue next to The Long Water lake. Photo: PA Wire
Due to limited space and crowding, organizers only allowed people to stand in front of the statue for a short time. The news agency described the memorial as emotional, with fans cheering and hugging each other, even though they didn’t know each other. One girl fainted in the crowd and was helped to a resting place by many people, who gave her water and sweets to help her regain her blood sugar.
Speaking to Variety , most fans said One Direction was a part of their childhood. One fan said their love for the band was the reason they came here, not daring to believe Liam Payne’s death was true. Freya – a 17-year-old fan – commented to the reporter that Liam was the one who kept the band alive in the hearts of fans. She said: “Even when Liam left the group, he still kept in touch with us, giving us all hope that one day 1D would reunite. To me, he was a shining star but unfortunately his light went out too soon.”
According to AP , in addition to London, memorial services were held in many other countries such as France, Australia, the US, Japan, and the Philippines last week. At the Tuileries Garden (Paris), more than 400 fans gathered to express their condolences and comfort each other over the weekend. They cried while singing the group’s songs, lighting candles to send off Liam. They also brought photos, flowers, and his CDs to the venue. Before that, fans in Argentina came to say goodbye to the singer outside the scene of the incident.
Fans bring flowers and balloons to the memorial service for the former One Direction member in England. Photo: Reuters
On the evening of October 16 local time (morning of October 17 Hanoi time), Liam Payne, 31 years old, died after falling from the third floor of the CasaSur Palmero hotel in Buenos Aires. According to Reuters , the emergency room received a report of a man with “erratic behavior, possibly under the influence of drugs” earlier.
An autopsy revealed that the artist died of “multiple injuries, internal and external bleeding.” After searching his room, police found evidence of alcohol and drug use before the accident. Before his death, Liam had struggled with alcoholism and used drugs to stabilize his mood during and after his time with the group.
Most fans were surprised by the news and sent condolences on his and the band’s personal pages. USA Today said the singer’s death was a “huge shock” to Gen Z (the generation born between 1997 and 2012), affecting even non-fans.
Many artists expressed their condolences to Liam Payne, including singer Charlie Puth, Paris Hilton, Rita Ora. Producer Simon Cowell – the man behind the group’s success – decided to temporarily suspend the show Britain’s Got Talent after hearing the news. All 1D members posted tributes to him on their personal pages, saying they were “absolutely devastated” by the death of their former teammate.
Liam Payne rose to international fame in 2010 as a member of the pop group One Direction. The group began after finishing third on the UK version of X Factor in 2010, but disbanded in 2016. The members pursued solo careers and various projects. Liam released the song Strip That Down in 2017 and the album LP1 ( 2019). In March, he released the song Teardrops .
