MANILA, Philippines — Irish singer Niall Horan paid tribute to his fellow member of One Direction Liam Payne, the youngest and last member of the group to issue a personal statement following the latter's passing.
Liam fell from the balcony of his Buenos Aires hotel room at the age of 31. Numerous fans and peers have since offered condolences and shared memories of the singer, highlighted by the joint statement of One Direction members Niall, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and ex-member Zayn Malik.
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All four said they were "completely devastated by the news of Liam's passing," would cherish forever all the memories shared with Liam, miss him terribly, and sent love to his family, friends, and fans.
Louis, Zayn, and Harry then issued their own personal statements with photos of or with Liam, and Niall was the last to round up the entire group.
Niall said Liam had an "energy for life" and an infectious passion for work, "He was the brightest in every room and always made everyone feel happy and secure."
"All the laughs we had over the years, sometimes about the simplest of things, keep coming to mind through the sadness. We got to live out our wildest dreams together and I will cherish every moment we had forever," Niall continued. The bond and friendship we had doesn't happen often in a lifetime."
According to Billboard magazine, Liam attended Niall's concert in the Argentine capital earlier this month, which Niall referenced in his statement.
"I sadly didn't know that after saying goodbye and hugging him that evening, I would be saying goodbye forever. It's heartbreaking," Niall said.
The singer ended his statement offering condolences to Liam's family especially his seven-year-old son Bear.
One Direction emerged in 2010 when then-teenagers Liam, Zayn, Louis, Harry, and Niall appeared in the British television contest "The X Factor."
The band went on become one of the highest-grossing live acts in the world, releasing four albums until Malik's departure in 2015.
A year later after one more album, the group said it was on an indefinite hiatus, but stressed that it was not splitting up.
RELATED: 'In my heart forever': Zayn Malik pays tribute to 'lost brother' Liam Payne