Yahoo Lifestyle Here's How Zayn Malik Paid Tribute To Liam Payne During The Very First Show Of His Tour
Warning: This article mentions substance abuse.
Zayn Malik paid tribute to Liam Payne on the opening night of his first-ever solo tour.
On Saturday, the former One Direction member opened his Stairway to the Sky Tour at the O2 Academy in Leeds, England.
He performed several songs from throughout his career, including "Pillowtalk" and newer songs from his latest album, Room Under the Stairs.
To close the evening, he performed "Stardust" as an emotional tribute to Liam, who tragically passed away in October.
The words "Love you bro" were projected onto a blue-lit stage with a heart emoji, Liam's name, and the dates of his birth and death.
In response to Zayn's tribute, many fans expressed their support. One fan wrote, "this is such a bittersweet sight, i bet liam would've appreciated it."
Another fan wrote, "What a beautiful First show and Zayn was amazing and his vocals omg but then leave this tribute just make me cry all over my prayer are with Zayn tonight as he tour too."
"Liam was watching you from up there, the whole time. He was so proud of you, Zayn and he loved you so so much," another fan wrote on X.
Liam died after falling from a third-floor balcony in a Buenos Aires hotel on Oct. 16.
Three weeks after Liam's death, Argentine prosecutors ruled out death by suicide, and three people were charged with crimes of "abandonment of a person followed by death, supply, and facilitation of narcotics," according to the Associated Press.
The opening night for Zayn's tour comes a few days after Liam's private funeral service held at St. Mary's Church in Amersham, Buckinghamshire.
Zayn was in attendance.
The other former One Direction members, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, and Harry Styles were also in attendance.
Cheryl Tweedy, who shares a son with Liam, was also in attendance. Simon Cowell, credited with being the driving force behind One Direction's formation, and the former host of The Late Late Show, James Corden, were also in attendance.
The Stairway To The Sky Tour will continue with a couple more dates in the UK before concluding in the US cities: Washington DC, New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and San Francisco.
The tour was initially scheduled to begin last month in San Francisco but was postponed following Liam's death.
Let's fill up the comments with tributes and memories for Liam. Do you have a favorite moment, interview, or song from Liam and the guys of One Direction?
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, you can call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) and find more resources here.
