Louis Tomlinson Remembers Liam Payne in Emotional Tribute Following Tragic Loss: ‘He Was Like a Brother to Me’
Liam Payne’s One Direction bandmate Louis Tomlinson broke silence on the former’s tragic passing and took to social media to mourn the loss of the late pop star. The heartwrenching post comes alongside a separate joint statement issued by One Direction about Payne’s untimely demise at 31.
“I am beyond devastated to be writing this but yesterday I lost a brother,” Tomlinson began. “Liam was somebody I looked up to everyday, such a positive, funny, and kind soul,” he added.
The Back To You singer then recalled how he first met Liam Payne when he was 18 and the latter was 16. Tomlinson revealed he was “instantly amazed” by Payne’s voice but more importantly he found a “kind brother” who he always wanted to have in life.
“Liam was an incredible songwriter with a great sense of melody, we often spoke of getting back in the studio together to try and recreate the writing chemistry we had built up in the band,” Tomlinson shared.
“And for the record, Liam was in my opinion the most vital part of One Direction,” he added. The pop star then praised Payne’s experience from an early age, “his perfect pitch, his stage presence, his gift for writing” and thanked him for shaping them.
Tomlinson closed his post with a “message to you Liam, if you’re listening.” The Faith In The Future creator said he felt “beyond lucky” to have had Payne in his life but shared that he was “struggling with the idea of saying goodbye.”
The singer also shared how he got closer to Payne since the band and revealed how they spoke on the phone for hours, remembering the “thousands of amazing memories” they created together. Louis Tomlinson further stated that he thought the memories would be “a luxury” he would share with Payne for life.
“I would have loved to share the stage with you again but it wasn’t to be,” Louis Tomlinson lamented. He also alluded to Liam Payne’s 7-year-old son Bear and said “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.”
Tomlinson revealed that he wished he had the “chance to say goodbye” to Payne and tell him how much he loved him one more time. “Payno, my boy, one of my best friends, my brother, I love you mate. Sleep well X,” he concluded the heartfelt post.
Louis Tomlinson’s tribute for Liam Payne came alongside his joint statement about the tragic incident with other One Direction members Harry Styles, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan.
ALSO READ: Liam Payne’s One Direction bandmates Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan & Zayn Malik Issue Joint Statement About His Death: ‘Completely Devastated’