Behind the scenes, Liam Payne's greatest accomplishment had nothing to do with One Direction.

Liam Payne, one of the original members of global sensation One Direction, has tragically passed away at the age of 31. TMZ first reported that the singer died after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina.

Payne was born in Wolverhampton, England, and shot to fame in 2010 after capturing hearts while competing on the UK version of The X Factor. Eventually, Payne was teamed up with fellow competitors Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik to form One Direction.

Watch Liam Payne's X Factor audition. Article continues below.

From their journey through X Factor to their first official single, 'What Makes You Beautiful', One Direction quickly cemented itself as a pop culture phenomenon, and one of the biggest groups of the 2010s.

Within the group, Payne was known for his deep voice and passion for music, and was often considered the glue that held the band together, not just because of his talent but his quiet leadership and commitment to the group.

After One Direction went on hiatus in 2016, Liam pursued his own solo career, releasing his debut solo single 'Strip That Down' in May 2017. The track reached number two on the ARIA charts, number three on the UK Singles Chart, and hit number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100. In December 2019, Payne released his debut album as a solo artist, LP1. Payne's solo efforts showcased his versatility as a musician and singer, as well as his desire to experiment with different sounds and genres.

Beyond his career as a musician, Payne's candid nature and willingness to discuss his struggles with mental health and addiction resonated with fans.

In June 2021, Payne spoke about the pace and pressures of life on tour with One Direction, revealing that he had been struggling with alcohol and prescription pill addictions, as well as "severe" suicidal ideation.

Still, there was love and light in Payne's life, also. In 2017, Payne welcomed his son Bear Grey Payne with his then-partner, singer Cheryl Cole. Payne spoke often about his love for Bear and how becoming a father had "massively changed" him.

In an interview with People, Payne said that it had been "a learning curve" to become a father at the age of 23.

"At first it is the most scary thing in the world, 'cause you're like, 'Oh my God, I got to take care of this tiny thing,'" he said. "I was so young when I became a dad, as well. So it's a learning curve the whole time."

But his love for Bear was always front of mind.

"It's the first thing you think about in the morning and the last thing you think about at night," he told Entertainment Tonight in 2017.

Image: Instagram.

After Payne and Cole split, Payne maintained regular visitation with Bear, and Payne maintained that Cole was one of the most important people in his life.

"I see him two times a week, three times a week sometimes," Payne said in 2022. "And I make sure when I see him, he has 100 per cent of my time. I make sure that I'm not on my phone or dicking around somewhere else.""So, I like to give him those moments and it's important, he needs that in his life, he needs his dad in his life, and I'm happy he looks at me like a superhero, and I'm hoping to keep it that way," he added.In 2023, Payne revealed that he had been sober for six months, following a 100-day stay in a Louisiana rehabilitation facility.

"It's good to be in this position," he said of his sobriety in a YouTube video. "I definitely don't need those things anymore. The party's over."

Payne went on to thank Bear and Cole for "giving [him] a little bit of freedom to go and get well in that moment, because [he] had to."

He also took a moment to offer his former One Direction bandmates a shoutout, saying, "When I needed them most they kind of came to my rescue."

Payne is survived by his son Bear Payne, his parents Geoff and Karen, and his sisters Ruth and Nicola. He will be remembered not only for his musical legacy, but for the joy he brought to so many lives.