Twelve people, including eight children, died during a collision between a bus and tempo late Saturday night in the Dholpur district of Rajasthan, said officials.
Trigger Warning: This article contains references to an individual’s death.
Members of The Wanted paid a heartfelt tribute to former One Direction member Liam Payne following his tragic death on October 16, 2024. Payne died after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Max George, a member of The Wanted, acknowledged Payne’s passing during their October 17 concert at the Avalon Theatre in Canada, leading the audience in a heartfelt round of applause that lasted for over a minute.
“Yesterday, we found out the tragic news about someone that we knew personally — Liam Payne,” George told the crowd. “Obviously shockingly heartbreaking.” His comments were captured in a video shared on X, in which George conveyed the band’s grief and prayed for Payne’s family, friends, and fans.
Max George also remembered Payne’s support during a tough period for The Wanted, when bandmate Tom Parker was battling cancer. Parker, who died in 2022, was diagnosed with the condition in 2020.
According to George, Payne was the first artist to offer help when the band organized a Parker fundraiser. “He was the first person, the first artist to put his hand up and say that he wanted to perform,” George said. “We’ll never forget that.”
George stated how important Payne was to the band, even beyond his participation in the fundraiser. “Even after Tom passed, you know he came to Tom’s funeral, and he was extremely supportive to all of us, even though we hadn’t really been sort of friends,” he said.
He added that they knew each other until Tom died, and then they became friends. He really, truly encouraged them, and he said they will never forget that.
Aside from the onstage tribute, Max George took to Instagram to honor Liam Payne’s memory. In an emotional post, George described Payne’s death as absolutely devastating news, stating about the deep bond they had formed over time.
He wrote that he met Liam way back when 1D was on the X Factor. He added that over the last few years, he had the pleasure of getting to know him personally and spent some treasured time with him.
George’s post went on to explain how Payne had supported him after the loss of Tom Parker. He wrote that he supported him a lot personally after Tom passed. He will never forget that. His message was accompanied by a final note to Payne: “Rest in Peace Liam. Much love brother 🖤.”
Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of an individual’s death.
Shawn Mendes recently paid tribute to the late One Direction star Liam Payne in his New York City concert. He remembered meeting the British singer and mourned his death during his show on October 18. He addressed the crowd, saying his loss was painful and the news of Payne’s passing had been devastating, before dedicating a new song, titled, Heart of Gold to him.
Payne passed away on Wednesday, October 16, after a fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was 31 years old.
Mendes shared that he had the chance to meet with Payne a few times and noted how deeply touched he was by Payne’s warm and kind spirit. He expressed his sorrow over the loss of someone who had made a meaningful impact on so many lives. Mendes was mourning the Teardrops singer, whose vibrant energy and spirit were truly remarkable. It brought him sadness to realize that he would never experience the presence of someone like Liam again.
He told his audience, “It felt completely devastating. I got to meet him a couple of times, and he was a beautiful soul and his eyes gleamed — it was a beauty, shining into his eyes.”
The Stitches hitmaker went on to elaborate on the grieving process stressing both the aspect of sorrow for the dead and the joy of the constructive legacy that the dead leaves. He conveyed sentiments and regards to the family of Payne, particularly the little son, Bear who is seven years old.
He said, “The world is crying for you, brother, and we’re all praying for your son and your family. I miss you. This one’s for you tonight, Liam, from all of us.” Mendes then paid his respects by singing Heart of Gold from his forthcoming self-titled album, Shawn, which is due to be released soon.
The loss has reverberated among many of Payne’s fans, friends, and relatives, including former One Direction bandmates. Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, and Niall Horan issued a joint statement expressing grief over the death of their ‘brother’ all the while assuring their unison in sadness remembering the moments they spent with each other. All of them sent their condolences to Payne’s relatives, friends, and supporters as they joined in mourning him.
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