Liam Payne

Liam Payne
Information
Full name	Liam James Payne
Born	August 29, 1993 (age 22)
Hometown	Wolverhampton, West Midlands England, United Kingdom
Family	Geoff Payne, father Karen Payne, mother Nicola Payne, sister Ruth Payne, sister
Romances	Cheryl Cole (girlfriend) Sophia Smith (ex-girlfriend) Danielle Peazer (ex-girlfriend)

Liam James Payne (born August 29, 1993) is a member of One Direction along with Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and Niall Horan. He is currently signed as a solo artist with Capitol Records, but remains a member of One Direction.

Early Life

Liam was born in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England , UK to Geoff and Karen Payne. He has two older sisters, Nicola and Ruth. Liam was born three weeks early, and as a result he had a lot of health problems. He spent the first four years of his life in and out of the hospital having regular tests done. Doctors noticed one of his kidneys was scarred and dysfunctional. To help cope with the pain, he had 32 injections in his arm in the morning and evening as a child. In 2012 Liam found out and shared via Twitter that his kidney was functioning again.

Musical Career

Liam as a kid

Early Beginnings

From the age of six, Liam showed signs of singing talent. He would sing for his relatives or pub crowds on karaoke. However, he had his heart set on becoming an Olympic runner, and was a member of the Wolverhampton and Bilston Athletics Club. He would wake up at 5am every day to run five miles before school. His running dream ended at 14 years old when he narrowly missed out on a spot in the England schools team. At that point, he decided to completely focus on singing. He started perfecting his singing skills at the age of 12 when he joined Pink Productions, a performing arts group based in Wolverhampton, that allowed him to showcase his talent in front of a real audience for the first time. Liam completed 11 GCSEs at St Peter’s Collegiate School before moving on to study music technology at Wolverhampton College’s Paget Road campus, which he hoped would help him learn more about the industry.

X Factor

Liam originally auditioned in 2008 for The X Factor's fifth series when he was 14. He reached the judges' houses, but Simon Cowell felt he was too young and asked him to finish his schooling and come back in two years. Liam planned to return the following year, but was unable to audition due to The X Factor raising the application age to 16.

In 2010, Liam returned and auditioned with "Cry Me a River". He received a standing ovation from the audience and Simon. He got a yes from all four judges. At bootcamp, he sang "Stop Crying Your Heart Out" by Oasis. All three judges liked him, but Simon felt he was a bit one-dimensional. As such, he was eliminated as a solo artist and placed into One Direction. The band placed third but went on to sign a record deal with Simon Cowell's label Syco and released five albums between 2011 and 2015.

Writing and Producing

Since achieving superstardom as part of One Direction, Payne became a primary songwriter for the band, along with Louis Tomlinson. Payne and Tomlinson co-write the majority of One Direction's songs, and often refer to each other as a writing team. He also co-wrote a song for Cheryl Cole in 2014, titled I Won't Break for her album Only Human. Payne and Tomlinson were named in 2015 as some of SongSplits Top Songwriters in the World. The annual list showcases who in the entertainment industry is the most relevant and valuable, based on airplay, digital sales and web streams. They placed 54th and 55th. In 2014, Liam remixed One Direction's "You & I" and "Steal My Girl". For One Direction's fifth album Made in the A.M., Liam played instruments on Hey Angel, co-produced and played all instruments on "Love You Goodbye" and remixed "Drag Me Down". In 2015, he also co-wrote a song for Irish boy band Hometown called "The Night We Met".

2016: 1D Hiatus/Solo Record Deal/New Representation

In January 2015, Liam began working with American rapper/producer, Juicy J. Juicy confirmed the collaboration the following month. Through late December 2015 and early January 2016, Juicy shared Snapchat videos of he and Liam in the studio together again. On January 17, 2016, Liam uploaded a video on his official Instagram, previewing a rap song he wrote. On April 20, a demo titled 'You', leaked online. Liam clarified on Twitter that the song was not official, stating "Hearing that I've got a single out lol thats a surprise to me that's a one take scratch demo I was writing with someone as an idea for them. Guess I need to guard my projects better ... They don't even let you finish these days. Just to clarify I do not have a single what u just heard is something i get up to on a weekend lol". On May 3, tabloid The Sun reported Liam was taking an extended break from work and was currently not represented by any management.

On July 21, 2016, Liam announced on Twitter and Instagram that he had signed a solo deal with Capitol Records. He tweeted "Happy to have signed to @CapitolUK. They have an amazing history of artists, I hope I can follow in their footsteps." He clarified he was not leaving One Direction, saying "One direction will always be my home and family but I'm very excited to see what this chapter brings." Liam's sister, Ruth, also confirmed on her Twitter that "it would have been a shame for him not to release music for 2 years!" then told a fan checking if he was still in the band "[yeah], im not sure how a solo career in the band 'hiatus' would affect membership ha". Liam's new label said of the deal "Capitol Records UK are incredibly excited to be working with Liam. It’s not often you get the chance to sign such a talented and ambitious 22-year-old who has already conquered the world.” Liam stated "I’m really happy to have signed to such a prestigious label as Capitol Records UK. Capitol Records has an amazing history stretching right back before even Frank Sinatra and I’m really looking forward to becoming part of their story." On July 26, Doyen Global welcomed Liam to their management/marketing family as a new client, confirming that, as of July 2016, Liam is no longer associated with Syco Music nor Modest Management.

Personal Life

Family

Liam's parents are Geoff and Karen Payne. He has two sisters and three dogs. Liam revealed during Carpool Karaoke on The Late Late Show With James Corden that his parents would be temporarily living with him during One Direction's 2016 hiatus. He kept one of the dogs he and Sophia bought, Watson, after they split. He often posts videos on Instagram of his attempts to train the dog.

Charity Work

Liam has supported numerous good causes and associated himself with many charities over the years including UNICEF, Trekstock, CLIC Sargent, Global Poverty Project, Action1D, Comic Relief, Office Depot's Anti-Bullying Campaign and the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.

Relationships

Danielle Peazer

Liam with Danielle.

Liam met Danielle Peazer , a dancer, on The X Factor in 2010. Eventually they became close and soon started dating. They dated from December 2010 to September 2012, reunited briefly again in December 2012, but split permanently in April 2013. In December 2015, Danielle tagged Liam in a "best friends" picture on Instagram. She stated in a February 2016 interview that she and Liam were still close friends. 

Sophia Smith

Liam and Sophia in April 2015

Liam began dating his old schoolmate, Sophia Smith in June 2013. They made their first public appearance at the premiere of One Direction's concert film: This Is Us in August 2013. Sophia joined Liam on tour throughout 2014 and 2015. Liam confirmed the song "Illusion" on their fourth album Four, is about his relationship with Sophia. In an interview with Sugarscape, Liam revealed that he bought Sophia a puppy named Ralph for Christmas in 2014.  

Split

In October 2015, People Magazine reported that Liam and Sophia had decided to end their relationship after two and a half years. Liam confirmed the split to tabloid The Sun stating "I’m absolutely devastated to have split with Sophia. Being on the tour all this year and being away from her was so hard. We spent so much time apart. But in order to do right by somebody sometimes it’s better not to do what your heart wants, but to do what’s better for them. Right now I’m looking forward to some alone time to figure out who I am and what I want to be."    

Cheryl Fernandez-Versini

Liam and Cheryl in May 2016

On February 26, 2016, The Sun reported Liam had begun dating UK pop star Cheryl Fernandez-Versini. The pair met in 2008, on X Factor, when Liam was 14 years old, and again in 2010, when Liam auditioned a second time, aged 16. in 2014, Liam wrote a song titled I Won't Break for Cheryl's 'Only Human' album. Cheryl then nominated Liam to participate in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge later that year.

On Valentines Day 2016, Liam posted a picture of a rose on Instagram with the caption, "Happy Valentine's Day baby ...". On February 24, Liam and Cheryl exchanged flirty Instagram messages to one another before attending the 2016 Brit Awards separately. The following day, Liam deleted all pictures of ex Sophia Smith from his Instagram. Various media outlets, such as People Magazine and E! News, confirmed the two were dating on February 27, 2016. Liam confirmed by changing his Instagram profile picture to a selfie of he and Cheryl on February 28, along with a new bio caption; "Happy". Liam walked the red carpet with Cheryl on May 9, at the Global Gift Gala, where she was receiving an award for charity work, and again on May 13 at the Cannes Film Festival.

Controversy

As is the case with most One Direction relationships, many fans believe "Chiam" to be a publicity stunt. X Factor contestants and judges are often romantically linked to one another, leading fans to believe this is a way for X Factor creator Simon Cowell to further promote his brand via his clients and collaborators. Fans also expressed discomfort in the considerable age difference between the two, particularly since Liam was very young when they first met and Cheryl was, at the time, still married. She is currently seeking a divorce from her second husband.

Controversies

Alleged Homophobia

Liam received backlash several times over allegedly homophobic comments or beliefs, though he has consistently denied a homophobic stance. In 2014, Payne tweeted to openly homophobic reality TV family the Robertsons, from US reality TV show Duck Dynasty, commending them for their "family values". Many took this as agreement with the family's homophobic and racist stance. Payne reacted angrily to the backlash tweeting "Being a fan of someones show and the way they still hold a family together doesnt mean i am ok with all they say. I can’t do anything without being judged, you try that and write about it. What I gotta do to please you bastards I’m a 20 year old just living life as you did when u were twenty but in extraordinary circumstances. Sick of all this bull il be back again when the freedom of speech law is back and people don’t believe to much into the bulls#!t they read." He was also criticized for being photographed with the family while holding a rifle.

Later that year, Liam denied rumours he appeared in a gay sex tape, stating "I think I'd rather tweet a full frontal than have people look at that." Some took the comment to be homophobic and Liam responded "I'm 100% not homophobic but I'm also 100% not gay. But when somebody says I am, I'm gunna say I'm not, which does not make me a homophobe".

In August 2015, during an On The Road Again Tour concert in the US, Liam angered fans when he introduced "Girl Almighty" by stating "This is my favorite song off the last album, it's about trying to find that number one woman of your life, which none of you can relate to, because most of you are girls. Except for the boys in here, you know what I'm talking about." Female LGBT fans felt the comment was exclusionary and offensive, and spoke against the comments on Twitter. Liam responded angrily tweeting "I am in no way shape or form homophobic that's a ridiculous thing to say. I'm not here to offend people so take it as you will. So annoying trying your hardest to make people happy in a show and you think about all the notes u tried to hit higher or a little sweeter. I'm sorry to those I offended, really I am, but there's no need for some of the things I'm being called. I'm just here to make people smile. I kinda consider it my job role." During the subsequent UK leg of the tour, the stage lights became rainbow colored during "Girl Almighty", which was interpreted as an apology of sorts for the blunder.

In a 2015 interview with Attitude Magazine, a publication for gay men, Liam once again angered fans and readers, when he stated the use of rainbow flags and signs at One Direction concerts were about Larry Stylinson, the rumored relationship between Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson. He claimed "When the law changed in the U.S. [legalizing same-sex marriage] there were loads of rainbow flags flying at our shows, but I think that was mainly because of the Louis and Harry thing [that they're secret lovers], which is absolutely nuts and drives me insane." Rainbow Direction, a fan based organisation designed to create safe spaces at concerts for LGBT fans, released a statement of clarification, saying "Since a large part of the rainbows present at each show are brought by Rainbow Direction participants, we want to remind Liam, and Attitude Magazine - which previously reported on the campaign - of their actual purpose. Rainbow Direction decided to encourage people to make their support for fellow fans of all sexualities and gender identities visible by bringing rainbows in all forms to the shows. The aim is to show fans of all sexualities and gender identities that the 1D community welcomes them. As stated on the official website, Rainbow Direction’s actions aren’t directed to any band member, but to fellow fans." Many fans expressed confusion about Payne's comments, after previously witnessing him encouraging fans with rainbow signs to hold them up and be "proud", both before and after the interview was published. Some speculated Payne had not in fact made the comments, despite them being published under his name, and that they were PR comments designed to discourage fans from speculating about Harry and Louis. Payne briefly addressed the controversy on Twitter, expressing disappointment in the negative reaction. In late 2015, Payne skipped out on a pre-scheduled appearance at the Attitude Awards and has not associated with the magazine since.

On June 13, 2016, following a terrorist attack on an LGBT+ nightclub in the United States, which killed 49 people, Liam posted a rainbow flag on his Instagram with the caption "My thoughts and prayers go out to Orlando and the lgbt community today, such a senseless tragedy #prayfororlando".

Other Incidents

In early 2014, a picture of Liam standing on a roof ledge of a 34 story building was uploaded to his Twitter. The photo showed the dangerous jump needed to get to the ledge. The photo was deleted the next day and Liam issued an apology stating "You may have seen a photo of me today taken on top of a building. I regret being there and having a photo taken. It was a stupid and irresponsible thing to do. I am sorry, and do not endorse any fans trying to repeat this, as it is extremely dangerous."

Tattoos

A "screw"/plus sign +
on ankle
October 12, 2012

Everything I Wanted But Nothing I'll Ever Need
on left forearm
October 20, 2012

Only time will tell...
on right wrist
October 27, 2012

Four chevrons ››››
on right forearm
c. November 7, 2012

A feather
on right arm.
April 1, 2013.

I Figured it Out
on right forearm
August 2013

Egyptian Hieroglyphics (Liam)
on right forearm
August, 2013

Somewhere is a place that nobody knows
right forearm
April 2014

An Eagle
on right hand
August 29, 2015

"We Are The Quiet Ones"
A skull with roses
on right arm
August 30, 2015

29 and a Feathered Wing
on right arm
September 5, 2015

DCXVIII XCVIII (61898) & Stars
on right arm
September 12, 2015

Roses
on left hand
January 2016

4
on left ring finger
February 2016

Clockwork Sleeve Tattoo (March 2016)

Credits

Up All Night

• "Taken" — writing
• "Everything About You" — writing
• "Same Mistakes" — writing

Take Me Home

• "Last First Kiss" — writing
• "Back For You" — writing
• "Summer Love" — writing
• "Still The One" — writing
• "Irresistible" — writing

Midnight Memories

• "Right Now" — writing
• "Does He Know" — writing
• "Diana" — writing
• "Midnight Memories (song)" — writing
• "Little Black Dress" — writing
• "Better Than Words" — writing
• "Little White Lies" — writing
• "Through The Dark" — writing
• "Story of My Life" — writing
• You And I (Big Payno Remix) - producer

Four

• "Steal My Girl" — writing
• "Night Changes" — writing
• "Ready To Run" — writing
• "Fool's Gold" — writing
• "No Control" — writing
• "Fireproof" — writing
• "Spaces" — writing
• "Clouds" — writing
• "Change Your Ticket" — writing
• "Illusion" — writing
• Steal My Girl (Big Payno Remix) - producer

Made in the A.M.

• "End Of The Day" - writing
• "Long Way Down" - writing
• "What a Feeling" - writing
• "History" - writing
• "Wolves"
• "A.M." - writing
• "Love You Goodbye" - producer
• "Hey Angel" - co-producer, instruments

Perfect EP

• Drag Me Down (Remix) ft Lunchmoney Lewis - producer
• "Home" - writing

Other Artists

• "I Won't Break" - writing (for Cheryl Cole)
• "The Night We Met" - writing (for Hometown)
• "You" - (unfinished collaboration with Juicy J)

Quotes

• "I've always had a strange fear of spoons." — X Factor Tour Q&A
• "Have you quite finished?" (Common Quote)
• "I can see a lot of people thanking us for staying, but you're the real heroes here. Thanks for not thinking it's finished." (After Zayn's departure from the band)
• "For the past five years now I've been part of something so special I don't think any of us really understand, something that can mean the world to people and put a smile on the face of our fans even in the darkest times. To a lot of people it's just a bunch of silly kids in a band but to the people involved it means so much more." (After Zayn's departure from the band)
• "The break will be a lot shorter than what a lot of people think."

Trivia

• Niall claims that Liam is the most competitive of the five.
• Louis and Liam did not get along during X Factor.
• Jurassic Park and Harry Potter are some of his favorite films.
• His favorite comedian is Michael McIntyre.
• He bought the flying car from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
• He learned how to beatbox by emulating Justin Timberlake, one of his idols.
• His zodiac sign is Virgo.
• He is a boxer.
• Liam’s favourite love song is ‘End of May’ by Michael Bublé.
• He collects watches. He says that it's a reward to himself for the bands continued success.
• He says One Direction's song "History" reminds him of Toy Story's "You Got a Friend In Me".
• He broke his arm in 2014, while in Las Vegas.
• He knows how to play the guitar and piano.
• He wrote and performed a song for his sister Ruth's wedding.
• He appears to have a private Snapchat.

External Links

• @Real_Liam_Payne - Twitter
• @Fakeliampayne - Instagram
• http://www.liampayneofficial.com - Official Website

References

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References ==

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