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Former One Direction members paid tribute to their “brother” and fellow bandmate Liam Payne, who died on Wednesday after falling from a third-floor balcony.
The remaining four members, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan, penned a joint statement posted on the group’s shared account to express their “devastation” over Payne’s untimely death.
“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. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, whom we loved dearly,” read the statement posted on Instagram.
“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,” concluded the post.
On their separate Instagram accounts, the musicians remembered Payne by sharing their memorable moments with him as well as photos that were taken during their time in One Direction.
Tomlinson looked back on the time when he first met Payne when they were 18 and 16 years old, respectively, and described the latter as “such a positive, funny, and kind soul.”
“Liam was an incredible songwriter with a great sense of melody; we often spoke of getting back in the studio together to try and recreate the writing chemistry we had built up in the band. And for the record, Liam was, in my opinion, the most vital part of One Direction. His experience from a young age, his perfect pitch, his stage presence, his gift for writing.
