Shawn Mendes paid tribute to Liam Payne Friday night during his concert in New York City.
The One Direction member died October 16 after a fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, at age 31.
In his show at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater, Mendes, 26, spoke about the interactions he had with the What Makes You Beautiful singer.
‘I got to meet Liam a couple of times, and he was a beautiful soul and his eyes gleamed, it was beautiful,’ Mendes told the audience.
‘It’s about grieving those we miss with tears and it’s also about celebrating them and who they were and what they left in this world and I just want to take a second to send so much love to him wherever he is up there,’ he said.
Shawn Mendes paid tribute to Liam Payne Friday night during his concert in New York City. ‘I got to meet Liam a couple of times, and he was a beautiful soul and his eyes gleamed, it was beautiful,’ Mendes told the audience
‘Liam, we love you. The world is crying for you, brother, and we’re all praying for your son and your family. I miss you. This one’s for you tonight, Liam, from all of us.’
The Canadian singer then began singing Heart Of Gold, a song he has not released yet, but has performed live in the past.
Also on Friday, Payne’s father, Geoff, arrived in Buenos Aires to accompany his son’s body back to England.
When he arrived at the hotel where his son died in order to collect his belongings, the grieving father was greeted with an outpouring of emotion from the hundreds of fans who had gathered to mourn the late singer.
The bereft dad paused at the makeshift memorial, and bent down down to pick up a photo of Liam before thanking everyone for their support.
In a statement released after the BMI Pop Awards winner’s death, his family said they were ‘heartbroken’ by their loss.
‘Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul,’ the family wrote.
‘We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.’
Payne, 31, died October 16 in a fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was 31 (Pictured in New York City in August 2018)
‘Liam, we love you. The world is crying for you, brother, and we’re all praying for your son and your family. I miss you. This one’s for you tonight, Liam, from all of us,’ Mendes, 26, said before singing the currently unreleased song Heart of Gold
Payne’s father, Geoff, traveled to Buenos Aires on Friday to claim his son’s body. He was greeted with an outpouring of grief and support by fans mourning the late singer
Investigators in Buenos Aires are still looking into the tragedy.
Payne’s hotel room was found in a mess, reportedly with drugs and alcohol strewn about the place amid broken objects and furniture.
An autopsy revealed the artist died from the fall, but a toxicology report has not yet been completed.
Payne is survived by his parents, two sisters and his son Bear, seven, whom he shared with ex-girlfriend Cheryl Tweedy.
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk