A little over a month since the tragic death of Liam Payne, the former One Direction singer, at 31 in Buenos Aires, his friends and family held a memorial service on Wednesday at a 12th-century church in Amersham, Buckinghamshire.
One Direction members Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson reunited for Liam Payne’s funeral on November 20 at St. Mary’s Church in Amersham, England, after attending the memorial service.
In addition, Simon Cowell, who formed the band, was present at the funeral. British singer Cheryl, the mother of Payne’s son Bear, was also present. Other celebrity guests included James Corden, a longtime friend of 1D, and Kate Cassidy, Payne’s girlfriend at the time of his death.
“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 of Payne’s death broke. “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.”
Malik, who postponed his U.S. tour and UK shows to attend Payne’s funeral, expressed his emotional tribute to Instagram, stating he had been speaking out loud to Payne.
“I can’t help but think selfishly that there was so many more conversations for us to have in our lives,” he wrote. “I never got to thank you for supporting me through some of the most difficult times in my life. When I was missing home as a 17-year-old kid, you would always be there with a positive outlook and reassuring smile and let me know you were my friend and that I was loved.”
Tomlinson, the first to publicly address Payne’s death, praised him as the most crucial member of One Direction and pledged to support Payne’s son. “I want you to know that if Bear ever needs me I will be the Uncle he needs in his life and tell him stories of how amazing his dad was,” he wrote. “Payno, my boy, one of my best friends, my brother, I love you mate. Sleep well.”
