Shorty after a month that 31-year-old former One Direction bandmate Liam Payne tragically passed away, in Buenos Aires, family and friends gathered to celebrate his life on Wednesday at a 12th-century church in Amersham, very close to London.
“We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing,” Styles, Malik, Tomlinson, and Horan said in a joint statement posted to Instagram shortly after the news broke of Payne’s death. “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. We love you, Liam.”
The late singer’s former colleague at One Direction, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, and Niall Horan came together again for the first time since they went on the ‘On the Road Again’ tour in 2015, marking a very important moment for supporters of the music band, which officially went their separate ways in 2016.
Harry Styles, one of the most popular among the bandmates, took to his Instagram page to write, “[Liam]’s greatest joy was making other people happy, and it was an honor to be alongside him as he did it.”
Simon Cowell and fiancée Lauren Silverman, James Corden, and Cheryl Tweedy, a former partner of Payne’s and the mother of their seven-year-old son, Bear Grey, were also present at the memorial service.
Payne’s lover before his death, actress Katie Cassidy, and the late singer’s father and mother, Geoff and Karen, were joined by Damian Hurley, who also paid their last respects.
The attendance at the shows the level of impact that Payne made on those around him and the world of music when he was alive.