Liam Payne

A levelheaded, talented singer, Liam Payne auditioned for "The X Factor" (ITV, 2004- ) as a solo act in 2008, but was told by Simon Cowell to return in two years. Upon his successful 2010 revisit, Payne was grouped with fellow contestants Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson to form the boy band One Direction.

After coming in third on the reality show, they hit No. 1 with their debut single "What Makes You Beautiful," scored the hit follow-up "Gotta Be You," and released their blockbuster debut album, 2011's Up All Night. Showered with European awards, fan adulation and commercial success, One Direction then moved to conquer America with appearances on "Saturday Night Live" (NBC, 1975- ) and "iCarly" (Nickelodeon, 2007- ) that coincided with the chart-topping release of their album stateside.

Representing a new era of boy bands that seemed - at least on the surface - to be less packaged and more approachable, One Direction, as well as Liam Payne, seemed poised to enjoy considerable success on the global stage.

Born Aug. 29, 1993 in Wolverhampton, England, U.K., Liam James Payne had only one working kidney at birth, which led to undergoing regular medical tests until the age of four, including 32 injections in the morning and evening to deal with the pain. Despite his initial health problems, Payne grew to be a spirited youth who engaged in multiple schoolyard fistfights before funneling his considerable energy into cross-country and boxing.

At the age of 14, he auditioned for "The X Factor" (ITV, 2004- ) in 2008, but despite his success, was advised by Simon Cowell to return in two years. In 2010, he earned a standing ovation from the audience and Cowell for singing "Cry Me a River," but was sent for additional training at the show's musical boot camp by the judges. His rendition of "Stop Crying Your Heart Out" was deemed not strong enough for him to make the cut as a solo singer.

Happily, this opened other professional doors for Payne, who was teamed with fellow contestants Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson to form One Direction. As a boy band, they placed third on "The X Factor" and ascended to international superstardom with the 2011 release of their debut single, "What Makes You Beautiful."

Hitting number one on the U.K. singles chart and breaking sales records, the song paved the way for a follow-up hit, "Gotta Be You," and their global smash debut album, Up All Night. Continuing their meteoric rise, the band notched a sold-out U.K. tour and won three 4Music Awards (Best Group, Breakthrough and Video), a Brit Award (Best British Single for "What Makes You Beautiful") and two U.K. Kids' Choice Awards (Favorite U.K. Newcomer and Favorite Band).

Their European success led to their American breakthrough, with their album hitting No. 1 and One Direction replicating their European success in the States with a flood of endorsements, publicity appearances and television performances. They were featured as the musical guest (and appeared in a skit) on the Sofia Vergara-hosted episode of "Saturday Night Live" (NBC, 1975- ), booked a guest spot on "iCarly" (Nickelodeon, 2007- ), and announced plans for a 2012 world tour.

Unlike the previous wave of boy bands, One Direction eschewed matching clothing and tightly choreographed dancing, radiating instead a seemingly less manufactured, less polished image. Although much of One Direction's appeal came from their unified front of playful energy, each member stood out in his own way.

Payne, whose life experiences seemed to grant him a more grounded, mature perspective than his fellow band members, had a longtime girlfriend, dancer Danielle Peazer, and spoke of eventually marrying her. Although some fans appreciated Payne's sensible outlook, others sent Peazer death threats, which caused Payne to speak out against cyber-bullying.

By Jonathan Riggs