Liam Payne was destined to be a star…he had looks, charisma & talent but was one of the nice guys, says Clemmie Moodie
“I SHOULD be concentrating on my schoolwork but I just think about singing too much,” said a floppy-haired Liam Payne in his Wolverhampton accent.
“It’s a dream, and I’d love to do it,” he added in his first X Factor audition in 2008.
That young boy’s dream became a reality — with global interest.
Within 2½ years he’d quit school and was an international superstar, a fifth of Britain’s most manufactured boyband, One Direction.
Right from the off, Liam had all the ingredients to be a star: the looks, charisma, talent and, above all else, kindness. He genuinely was one of the nice guys.
I first met Liam when he was 16. I was a venerable 27.
It was a Saturday night backstage at the Fountain Studios in Wembley where Liam was cheekily marauding around the friends and family area alongside bandmates, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik.
None had any idea what lay in store. No one possibly could have.
Except, perhaps, for their all- seeing, then all-powerful puppetmaster, Simon Cowell.
“Clemmie, if I were a betting man, I’d put a LOT of money on One Direction to win this thing,” he told me over a beer in his dressing room.
Off I trotted — telling my parents to do the same, and my boss who immediately went down to Ladbrokes and splurged £500 on 1D to win the X Factor.
They came third. I lost £200 as did my poor folks. But, it turned out, 1D were the real winners.
They went on to sell 75 million records, scoop nearly 200 awards including seven Brits, six Billboard Music Awards and became multi-multi-millionaires.
Collectively, they have earned more than The Beatles.
There was an indefinable buzz about the lads in those early days.
Liam was always one of the friendliest and most approachable.
While the others mucked around, he would rein them in — politely answering my inane questions, and keeping the interviews on track.
He was streetwise beyond his years. On a dark, gloomy day in January 2011, 1D came into my former Canary Wharf offices — a stone’s throw from a penthouse flat Liam would later buy — for the first playback of their debut single, What Makes You Beautiful.
After giving the lads a tour of the newspaper office — where Liam leapt behind my phone and pretended to make a “celebrity call” — we went to a soundproof room where they popped on their record.
For 3½ minutes we sat around a CD player, bobbing along slightly awkwardly, listening to this slice of pop perfection.
Clemmie, if I were a betting man, I’d put a LOT of money on One Direction to win this thing
Simon Cowell
At this stage, press attention was new to Liam and co — and they seemed to be relishing every second. Not once did they begrudge an interview, or not play the game.
There was fun to be had, and they had it.
The following year I saw them again at the Brits, their first.
They were thrilled to be there, and endearingly excitable. Liam drinking tap water. With a history of kidney problems he said he couldn’t really process alcohol.
And he was happily mingling with the great and good of British music. A family boy, he had sweetly brought along some relatives.
His uncle sought me out, saying: “I just want to say thank you so much for supporting Liam.
“You were the first journalist to champion the boys and get behind them, and we will never forget it.”
It’s rare to be thanked in this industry. And it’s clear Liam’s family were supremely proud of their smart, talented, loyal boy.
He had a happy childhood growing up in Wolverhampton with parents Geoff and Karen, a fitter at an aerospace firm and a nurse, and his older sisters, Ruth and Nicola.
He excelled at sport, ranking third in the country in the 1500m.
And after first applying to the X Factor aged 14, he was told by Simon to go back to school. He duly did, and picked up 11 GCSEs.
Of all the band Liam was the sensible one, the “boring” one.
To have lost his life in these most awful, most grim, circumstances seems so utterly baffling.
Somewhere along the line, poor Liam lost himself. Fame has a lot to answer for. “I still feel like a child in so many ways,” he said a few years ago.
“There is no link between money and happiness. It is a myth. Money is the ability to relax on certain things.”
With a team of “yes men” around him, Liam was shielded from reality and his problems, which he battled in private, spiralled.
With a team of ‘yes men’ around him, Liam was shielded from reality and his problems, which he battled in private, spiralled
Clemmie Moodie
He fought them bravely. Ultimately they beat him.
But in those glorious early days, Liam had a lust for life.
Tributes to Liam Payne
SHOCKED friends, family and fans have paid heartbreaking tributes to Liam as news of the singer's death circulated across the world.
Harry Styles’ mum Anne was among the first from One Direction’s camp to share her reaction, posting a photo of Liam and writing ‘Just a boy…’ alongside a broken heart emoji.
Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden shared an image of the pair together with the words: “Such an awful tragedy.
“Sending love to his family and all those who loved him.”
X Factor star Olly Murs told fans he was “devastated” and “lost for words”.
He wrote on social media: “Liam shared the same passions as me, the same dreams so to see his life now end so young hits hard, I’m truly gutted and devastated for his Family and of course his son Bear losing a dad x”.
Liam Gallagher said he was “very sad” and told his followers on X: “Life is precious Kids, you only get to do it once, go easy.”
Former X Factor presenter Dermot O’Leary has also expressed his shock and spoke on This Morning today.
He said: “I remember him as a 14 year old turning up to audition on The X Factor, and blowing us away singing Sinatra. He just loved to sing.
“He was always a joy, had time for everyone, polite, grateful, and was always humble.”
BBC Radio 2 presenter Zoe Ball reacted to the “devastating news” on her show today and told fans she hugged her own son Woody tight this morning.
JLS band member Marvin Humes reflected on his memories with the singer, sharing: “I first met Liam in 2008 with the JLS boys whilst auditioning for X Factor..he was 14 years old..
“We instantly clicked and looked at him as a little brother..that year it worked out for us but not for him and then 2 years later he went back to audition and One Direction was born..the rest is history..
“Absolutely heartbroken by the tragic news..Liam you wanted to be a global superstar and you did it bro..just can’t believe that things have ended this way..it’s shocking..my thoughts and prayers are with all your family and friends brother..RIP.”
Niall Horan’s brother Greg shared an emotional tribute to Liam, praising him as a “top young man”.
He added: “You will be forever missed. Liam, words can’t describe how much I want to grab my brother and mind him now while the world shows their memories of you and him and the boys.
“My heart goes out to your family parents and sisters and your son Bear and your 1D brothers.
“10th October we met and we started out that evening as 5 families into one big one 1D family thank you for all the laughs bro watch down on all your family and mind them lots of love kiddo x x x 1D 4 LIFE x x x”
German DJ Anton Zaslavski, otherwise known as Zedd, has taken to X with a devastated statement.
The producer, who worked with Liam on his 2017 hit Get Low, wrote: “RIP Liam… I can’t believe this is real…absolutely heartbreaking…”
American singer, Charlie Puth, who was friends with Liam and also collaborated with him on a song called Bedroom Floor, has posted a series of Instagram stories dedicated to him.
Alongside photos of the two of them together in their younger days, Charlie wrote: “I am in shock right now. Liam was always so kind to me.
“He was one of the first major artists I got to work with. I can not believe he is gone…
“I am so upset right now, may he rest in peace. I am so sorry…”
Irish singer duo Jedward also took to social media, saying: “RIP Liam Payne. Condolences to friends and family.”
In another tweet, they added: “Sending strength to Cheryl and his son Bear. And all the One direction Family. RIP Liam Payne.”
American media personality Paris Hilton shared: “So upsetting to hear the news of Liam Payne passing. Sending love and condolences to his family & loved ones. RIP my friend.”
ITV weather presenter Alex Beresford shared a news video about Liam’s tragic death on Instagram, adding: “Can’t believe this! RIP Liam.”
Meanwhile Love Island star Molly Marsh penned: “I’m so taken aback, rest in peace.”
He was a proper superstar yet never cocky. I once went to New York with the group, ahead of their first Madison Square Garden gig.
By now, the end of 2012, the cracks were showing.
Liam, though — casually taking his T-shirt off in their poky dressing room backstage to change — looked like a competition winner.
He couldn’t have seemed happier, or more grateful to be given this opportunity to crack the States — a feat Take That, Blue, Oasis and Westlife will all testify is easier said than done.
But he admitted that the hours were long, the demands increasing by the week. By 2015, the sheen of boyband life had been lost. Liam was knackered. They all were.
He said: “There are a lot of people who get paid a lot for doing not much at all — like socialites on reality shows, or people who earn a million pounds a day working a couple of hours buying and selling shares.
“But what we earn we earn for doing an awful lot. We are constantly working.” And they were.
Sadly their nine-year hiatus, after Zayn had earlier quit in 2015, has showed no signs of abating.
It is beyond tragic that now it never will.