A funeral for Liam Payne will be held in the coming days in the late star’s hometown almost one month on from his tragic death in Argentina.
The One Direction singer, 31, died following a fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires on October 16. As reported by the Mirror, the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Argentina is continuing to investigate the circumstances and it is currently being treated as “an inconclusive death”.
An initial post-mortem examination found he died instantly because of multiple traumas and “internal and external haemorrhage”. Liam’s body only returned home to the UK earlier this week due to the ongoing investigation.
For that reason the dad-of-one’s loved ones have been unable to hold a funeral for him until this week. Argentine police sources confirmed that the singer’s body was released to his grieving family, who managed to bring him back to England on Monday, November 4.
It’s understood a private celebration of Liam’s life with take place on Friday in his hometown of Wolverhampton, with his One Direction bandmates Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan likely to be in attendance. Cheryl Tweedy, mother to Liam’s seven-year-old son Bear Payne, and Kate Cassidy, Liam’s partner at the time of his death, are also expected to be in the Midlands for the funeral.
The location of Liam’s funeral has not yet been made public. Many, however, believe it will take place at St. Peter’s Collegiate Church in Wolverhampton, where devoted fans have been leaving tributes for the singer outside over recent days, including handwritten messages left by the Lady Wulfrun statue.
One Direction fans are also rallying for a permanent memorial in honour of Liam in his hometown following his untimely passing. Locals from Wolverhampton, just a few miles from Birmingham, had previously paid their respects to Liam with a candlelit vigil at his secondary school, St Peter’s Collegiate Academy. However, they are now calling for a more lasting tribute.
As of Tuesday, November 5, a petition urging the council to consider erecting a permanent monument in the West Midlands has garnered 4,654 signatures. Their appeal page states: “The recent passing of Liam Payne has touched the hearts of many, not just the unbreakable community of One Direction fans, but people worldwide. As individuals who have been profoundly impacted by the loss of this amazing talent, we ask for a permanent structure or mural to be erected in Wolverhampton in his honour.”
Liam first auditioned for The X Factor in 2008 when he was 14, singing Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me To The Moon, before he returned to the show two years later aged 16 and was put into One Direction alongside Niall, Louis, Zayn and Harry, who went on to be one of the biggest boybands in the world.
The singer released one solo album following the band’s indefinite hiatus in 2016 and teased new music was set to be release shortly before his death. He is survived by his son Bear Payne.
Don’t miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond. Sign up to our daily newsletter.