CH.1 Liam Payne
Synopsis
Liam Payne was born on August 29, 1993, in Wolverhampton, England. His early interest in music and performing led him to compete on television talent competition The X Factor in 2008 and again in 2010. On his second try he attracted positive notice. Although he didn't win, the judges combined him with four other competitors to form the pop boy band One Direction, who became a global success.
Childhood and School Years
Liam James Payne was born on August 29, 1993, in Wolverhampton, a town located in England's West Midlands. His father, Geoff, works for the aerospace manufacturing corporation Goodrich; his mother, Karen, has worked as a nurse and a receptionist. Payne has two older sisters, Nicole and Ruth.
Payne attended St. Peter's Collegiate School in Wolverhampton. As a pre-teen, he was interested in both music and athletics. He was a member of the Wolverhampton & Bilston Athletics Club and trained as a runner. He also began acting and singing with a local theater performance group called Pink Productions at the age of 12. Following his graduation from St. Peter's, he enrolled in the City of Wolverhampton College to study music technology.
'The X Factor'
Payne auditioned for the television talent competition The X Factor in 2008 and performed well enough to become one of the final 24 competitors before he was eliminated. For the next two years, he continued to train as a vocalist. He auditioned for The X Factor again in 2010 and moved further up in the competition, winning praise for his renditions of songs like "Cry Me a River" and Oasis's "Stop Crying Your Heart Out."
Although Payne was eliminated as a solo artist before the show's final round, he became part of a newly formed group act when judges Nicole Scherzinger and Simon Cowell combined him with his fellow competitors Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik. Performing as One Direction, Payne and his new band-mates finished the competition in third place and received a contract with Cowell's music label.
One Direction
Payne has become very successful as a part of One Direction. Their first single, "What Makes You Beautiful," was released in September 2011 in the United Kingdom and became a No. 1 hit before achieving worldwide popularity. Their debut album, Up All Night (2011), was a chart-topping success, as was their second album, Take Me Home (2012).
Personal Life
Payne is known for being the most sensible and grounded member of One Direction. He dated dancer Danielle Peazer, whom he met on the set of The X Factor, on and off from 2010 to 2013. He has also been romantically linked with British singer Leona Lewis.
Quote
“We're five lads in a band. Boy bands aren't all about dancing and being structured and wearing the same clothes.”—Liam Payne
CH.2 Zayn Malik
Synopsis
Zayn Malik was born on January 12, 1993, in Bradford, England, to a family of English-Pakistani descent. He had an early love for singing and performing, and at the age of 17 he competed in the television competitionThe X Factor. He was teamed up with four other male contestants to form the group act One Direction, who went on to become one of the most popular boy bands in music history.
Childhood and School Years
Zayn Malik was born Zain Javaad Malik on January 12, 1993, in Bradford, a town located in the county of West Yorkshire in Northern England. He is of English and Pakistani descent. His father, Yaser Malik, is English-Pakistani and his mother, Patricia (known as Tricia), is English. He has one older sister, Doniya, and two younger sisters, Waliyha and Safaa. The Malik family belongs to the Muslim faith.
Malik grew up in East Bowling, located south of the Bradford city center. He attended Lower Fields Primary School and Tong High School in Bradford. As a teenager he took performing arts courses and appeared in school productions.
'The X Factor'
In 2010, 17-year-old Malik auditioned in Manchester for the seventh series of reality-television competition The X Factor. He sang "Let Me Love You" by rhythm-and-blues vocalist Mario as his audition song and was accepted into the next round. He was eliminated before the final round of the competition, but judges Nicole Scherzinger and Simon Cowell grouped him with fellow competitors Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson to form a new act for the remainder of the show.
Performing as One Direction, this group became one of the most popular finalists in their season of The X Factor. They finished the competition in third place and they were immediately signed to Cowell's Syco music label.
One Direction
One Direction topped the pop music charts with their first single, "What Makes You Beautiful," when it was released in September 2011 in the United Kingdom. Their debut album, Up All Night, was a best-seller in both the United Kingdom and the United States in 2012. Malik has toured extensively with One Direction, meeting the band's young female fans around the world.
Dating and Romance
Malik is known as the "bad boy" of One Direction, due to his mischievous behavior, his many tattoos and his dyed, pompadour-like hairstyle. Since he first entered the spotlight, he has dated Geneva Lane, Rebecca Ferguson and Perrie Edwards, all former X-Factor contestants.
In August 2013, Malik got engaged to Perrie Edwards, a singer with the group Little Mix. The pair had been dating for two years prior to their engagement.
Quote
“I like to use the term 'misunderstood.' But I am a bit of a bad boy. I have tattoos and I mess around. That's part of my image, so it's cool.”—Zayn Malik
CH.3 Louis Tomlinson
Synopsis
Louis Tomlinson was born on December 24, 1991, in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. As a child and teen he acted and sang on television and in school productions. He auditioned successfully for television talent competition The X Factor in 2010, and the show’s judges teamed him with four other contestants to make a boy band. Performing as One Direction, this group became a chart-topping pop sensation.
Childhood and School Years
Louis Tomlinson was born on December 24, 1991, in the town of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. His parents, Johannah and Troy Austin, divorced when he was young, and he took his stepfather Mark Tomlinson's last name as his own. Tomlinson has five younger stepsisters: Georgia, Charlotte, Félicité and twins Daisy and Phoebe.
When Tomlinson's baby twin sisters had minor roles on the television comedy Fat Friends, Louis went along and was also cast as an extra. Tomlinson, then 11 years old, then took acting lessons and received small parts on the television dramas If I Had You and Waterloo Road.
In Doncaster, Tomlinson attended The Hayfield School; when he failed to graduate, he completed his studies at Hall Cross Academy. At Hall Cross he performed in several school productions, including the musical Grease. Outside school, he worked part-time jobs in retail and at the Doncaster Rovers Football Club.
'The X Factor''
Tomlinson auditioned for the television talent competition The X Factor in 2009, but was turned down. However, when he returned to try out for the show's seventh season in 2010, his rendition of the song "Hey There Delilah" by the Plain White T's brought him successfully into the competition. He advanced several rounds, singing hits like Adele's "Make You Feel My Love." He was eliminated before the final round, but the judges united him with his fellow competitors Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne and Zayn Malik to form a group act. This new band, called One Direction, finished the competition in third place and received a contract with Simon Cowell's music label.
One Direction
Tomlinson has enjoyed worldwide success as part of One Direction. The band's first single, "What Makes You Beautiful," was released in September 2011 in the United Kingdom and became a global No. 1 hit. Their first album,Up All Night, was released in early 2012 and was a chart-topper in 16 countries; their second album, Take Me Home (2012), was also a hit. One Direction performed at the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony in London and has toured the world.
Dating and Personal Life
Tomlinson is the oldest member of One Direction, and he has a reputation for being the prankster of the group. In 2011, he began dating college student Eleanor Calder, whom he met through his bandmate Harry Styles.
“I do enjoy having a laugh and joke, but when it comes to the band, it's really important to me for us to be portrayed exactly as we want to be portrayed as a band.”—Louis Tomlinson
CH.4 Harry Styles
Synopsis
Harry Styles was born in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England, on February 1, 1994. He first sang in a band in a school competition, and in 2010 he performed on the television show The X Factor, where the judges combined him with four other young male singers to form One Direction. Despite finishing third in the contest, One Direction received a recording contract and became a best-selling boy band.
Childhood and School Years
Harry Edward Styles was born on February 1, 1994, in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, in the West Midlands region of England. His parents, Des and Anne, divorced when he was 7 years old. He and his sister Gemma were brought up by their mother in the town of Holmes Chapel in Cheshire. His mother was later remarried, to Robin Twist.
Styles attended Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School, where he and three of his friends formed a band called White Eskimo. Styles was White Eskimo's lead singer, and the band was popular enough to win a band competition at their school. After school and on weekends, Styles worked at the W. Mandeville bakery in Holmes Chapel.
'The X Factor'
In 2010, when he was 16 years old, Harry competed in the seventh season of the television show The X Factor, singing Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely" as his audition song and Oasis' "Stop Crying Your Heart Out" in a later round. He was cut before the finals, but in a surprise move, judges Nicole Scherzinger and Simon Cowell put him together with fellow competitors Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik to form a new group act for the remainder of the competition.
Performing as One Direction (a name reportedly suggested by Styles), the five boys became one of the most popular contenders in the X Factor finals that season. Although they finished the competition in third place, they were immediately signed to Cowell's Syco music label.
One Direction
Styles is the youngest member of One Direction, and his curly hair, wide smile and sweet-yet-naughty demeanor have made him a fan favorite. He sang some of the lead vocals on the band's first single, "What Makes You Beautiful," which was released in September 2011 in the United Kingdom. One Direction's debut album, Up All Night, was a best seller in both the United Kingdom and the United States the following year. In another highlight of 2012, Styles and the rest of One Direction performed at the Olympics closing ceremony in London.
Dating and Romance
Styles is known as "the flirt" of One Direction, and his romantic relationships have been followed obsessively by the press and his fans. In 2011, he began dating television presenter Caroline Flack, whom he met when he was competing on The X Factor and she was hosting its companion show, The Xtra Factor. The difference in their ages—Styles was 17 at the time, and Flack was 32—was the subject of much discussion among Styles' fan base.
Since his breakup with Flack in January 2012, Styles has been romantically linked with photographer Sarah-Louise Colivet, models Emma Ostilly and Cara Delevingne, and singers Lily Halpern and Rita Ora. His most-publicized relationship of 2012 was a two-month liaison with pop star Taylor Swift. The two were frequently photographed together, and Swift reportedly referred to Styles in song lyrics and performances after they stopped dating.
Quote
“I wake up so many mornings feeling so lucky and so grateful to be where we are.”—Harry Styles
CH.5 Niall Horan
Synopsis
Niall Horan was born on September 13, 1993, in Mullingar, County Westmeath, Ireland. During his school years, he showed talent for singing and performing. At the age of 16, he auditioned for the television show The X Factor and was accepted into the competition. Although he did not make the final rounds as a solo vocalist, he joined forces with four other contestants to form the successful boy band One Direction.
Childhood and School Years
Niall James Horan was born on September 13, 1993, in Mullingar, County Westmeath, Ireland. His parents, Bobby and Maura Horan, divorced when he was a child. He and his older brother, Greg, moved back and forth between their parents' two households before settling in with their father.
Niall grew up in Mullingar and attended St. Kenny National School, where he performed in school plays and sang in the school choir. He attended secondary school at Coláiste Mhuire (Mary's College), also in Mullingar. As a teenager he performed at the Mullingar Arts Centre (in a fund-raiser for the local football team, the Shamrocks) and at The Academy in Dublin.
Competing on 'The X Factor'
In 2010, when he was 16 years old, Horan auditioned for the television talent competition The X Factor. He moved up through several rounds of preliminary auditions culminating in a performance for the program's judges, including Simon Cowell and guest judge Katy Perry, in Dublin. He sang a version of Ne-Yo's "So Sick" and was accepted into the official competition. Although he was eliminated as a solo contestant after the semifinals, the judges combined Horan with Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson to form the boy band called One Direction.
Fame and One Direction
Although One Direction did not win the final round of The X Factor, the band immediately received a contract with Cowell's label Syco and recorded its first album, Up All Night, which became a best seller in the United Kingdom in 2011 and the United States in 2012.
Horan is the only One Direction member born outside England, and he is the second youngest member of the band. He claims to be inspired by classic swing music and by the vocalist Michael Bublé. He is known for his blonde good looks and boy-next-door appeal, and he has been romantically linked with the actresses Demi Lovato and Freya Mavor, despite denying both rumors.
Quote
“Every now and then you have like a realization moment where you get goosebumps and think, 'I am literally the luckiest person in the world.'”—Niall Horan
Imprint
Publication Date: 08-27-2014
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