Boyzone’s Mikey Graham has called for record companies to make a big change after former One Direction star Liam Payne died at the age of 31.
Payne, a father-of-one, was declared dead at a hotel in Argentina after police were called to the scene on Wednesday (October 16).
Officers were called over reports of a ‘guest drunk with drugs and alcohol’, according to a transcript of the 911 call released by Sky News.
Liam Payne fell from his balcony (Marc Piasecki/GC Images)
When they arrived, Payne was found in an internal courtyard of the CasaSur hotel in Buenos Aires.
He had fallen from his third floor balcony and suffered ‘injuries that were incompatible with life’, according to the head of the state emergency medical system, Alberto Crescenti.
Tributes have been flooding in for Payne in the wake of the news, with Boyzone’s Graham among the fans and stars who have spoken out.
In a post shared on X, Graham described the loss of Payne as ‘tragic news’.
He then called for record companies to make a change in honor of the singer’s death, suggesting better mental health support should be available for young stars.
Payne was just 14 years old when he auditioned for The X Factor in 2008, when he performed a rendition of ‘Fly Me To the Moon’.
He initially auditioned as a solo act, but was later put together with Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan to form the boy band One Direction, who quickly won the hearts of millions of fans.
Acknowledging how young Payne was when he shot into the spotlight, Graham wrote: “I think it would be a wise move for record companies to have psychologists on their books from now on in his memory as a duty of care for the vulnerability of their young talent.
“Fame can be very damaging especially in today’s world. Lots of money. Nobody to help. Lots of yes people. Nobody honest.”
Mikey Graham expressed belief more support should be offered (X/@MRMIKEYGRAHAM)
One Direction went their separate ways in 2016, after which Payne worked to produce some house tracks and released his first and only solo album, LP1.
The singer also welcomed a son of his own the year after One Direction’s split, and recently spoke fondly of his little boy, Bear, who he described as a ‘mini-me’.
“He’s a big boy and he looks like a mini-me. As if we needed any more me in the world,” Payne said.
Joining Graham in paying tribute to Payne is the TV show The X Factor.
In a statement from the show, Payne was described as ‘immensely talented’. “Liam will leave a lasting legacy on the music industry and fans around the world,” the statement added.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 to reach a 24-hour crisis center or you can webchat at 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.