Liam Payne's death prompts music industry soul searching

The decease of erstwhile One Direction prima Liam Payne has sparked a statement astir the work of attraction successful the euphony industry, peculiarly for young people.

In 1 of the astir almighty tributes to the singer, who died astatine the property of 31 aft falling from a edifice successful Argentina past week, TV property and erstwhile X Factor justice Sharon Osbourne said: "We each fto you down."

Osbourne said Payne was "just a kid" erstwhile helium "entered 1 of the toughest industries successful the world, and asked: "Who was successful your corner? Where was this manufacture erstwhile you needed them?"

More than 25,000 radical person present signed a petition saying the amusement manufacture "needs to beryllium held accountable and beryllium liable to the payment of their artists".

While the lad set went connected to execute phenomenal occurrence crossed the globe, Payne himself acknowledged that it came astatine a cost.

He admitted helium utilized intoxicant to header with the level of fame "because determination was nary different mode to get your caput astir what was going on".

US prima Bruce Springsteen is among those who person spoken successful caller days astir the antagonistic interaction of the pressures of fame.

He told the Daily Telegraph that "young radical don't person the interior installation oregon the interior aforesaid yet to beryllium capable to support themselves from a batch of the things that travel with occurrence and fame".

"So they get mislaid successful a batch of the hard and often pain-inducing [things]... whether it's drugs oregon intoxicant to instrumentality immoderate of that unit off," helium said.

"I recognize this precise good from my ain experience, arsenic I person done my ain wrestling with antithetic things."

Robbie Williams besides acknowledged that helium struggled with his ain demons erstwhile helium was 31. "By the grace of deity and/or dumb luck I’m inactive here," helium said.

The erstwhile Take That prima called for much kindness and empathy from the nationalist towards celebrated figures who mightiness beryllium going done difficulties. "Even celebrated strangers request your compassion," helium wrote.

Could the euphony manufacture bash much to assistance fledgling artists, and are things present changing?

Robbie Williams' predominant collaborator, songwriter Guy Chambers, told the Observer the manufacture should clasp backmost from moving with performers who are nether 18.

"I bash deliberation putting a 16-year-old successful an big satellite similar that is perchance truly damaging. Robbie experienced that, certainly," helium said.

Chambers added: "I cognize successful Robbie’s case, with Take That, determination wasn’t immoderate due extortion acceptable up to look aft what were teenage boys. That was a agelong clip ago, but I don’t spot overmuch motion of change."

JLS prima Oritse Williams, who besides recovered fame connected The X Factor, told BBC Breakfast determination "isn't capable work of care".

"It's a tough, pugnacious crippled and you person to person a precise heavy skin," helium said.

"When you haven't lived life, to spell done trials and tribulations whilst being nether the spotlight is simply a precise hard thing. And who is determination to support?"

Oritse Williams said helium had been done his ain problems since uncovering lad set fame. "You're retired determination unsocial successful this crazy, brainsick world, wherever determination are a batch of vultures. It's pugnacious to navigate."

And Eoghan Quigg, who appeared connected The X Factor with Payne successful 2008, told 5 Live: "There needs to beryllium much enactment due to the fact that it's a fickle business, particularly present with societal media."

One Direction came 3rd successful The X Factor successful 2010, down victor Matt Cardle and runner-up Rebecca Ferguson - who shared her "devastation" astatine Payne's death.

She has antecedently said she suffered exploitation and bullying successful the euphony industry.

"I've spoken for years astir the exploitation and profiteering of young stars and the effects - galore of america are inactive surviving with the aftermath and the PTSD [post traumatic accent disorder]," she wrote connected societal media.

Ferguson recalled getting a taxi with Payne to movie The X Factor aft gathering him astatine a bid station.

"I can't assistance but deliberation of that lad who was hopeful and looking guardant to his agleam aboriginal ahead. If helium hadn't jumped connected that bid and jumped successful that taxi I judge helium would beryllium live today."

And Katie Waissel, who besides appeared connected The X Factor successful 2010, has agelong campaigned for amended enactment for those who look connected TV.

She spoke to the BBC past twelvemonth astir the "obscene magnitude of pressure" she felt nether arsenic a contestant connected the show.

In response, a spokesperson for X Factor said "robust measures" were successful spot to enactment those progressive successful the show.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live connected Friday, she said young musicians were "naive" astir entering into a world tv show. "It wasn't transparent what we were getting ourselves into... no-one knows what to expect."

Waissel called the euphony manufacture "very manipulative, coercive and deconstructive", saying "it sucks the psyche retired of people".

Matt Thomas, who co-founded the foundation Music Support successful 2016 aft 2 decades arsenic a grounds statement enforcement and creator manager, said helium had seen "massive changes" successful caller years.

"I really deliberation the euphony manufacture has got truthful overmuch amended and has made truthful overmuch progress," helium told BBC News.

"What I've noticed successful the past 10 years is the consciousness that it's [about] quality beings alternatively than commodities. But we've inactive got a agelong mode to go."

More enactment is present retired there, but not everybody knows wherever to find it, helium said.

"One of the biggest issues is deficiency of consciousness of the assistance that's available, and deficiency of wide signposting and authoritative recognised pathways."

He besides backed Chambers' proposition that under-18s should beryllium fixed overmuch much protection.

"There's a monolithic quality betwixt work of attraction to artists and work of attraction to children. Duty of attraction to children should beryllium dealt with wholly separately," helium said.

Talent manager Jonathan Shalit besides said things had changed since 2010.

"Fortunately... a batch of lessons person been learned. The work of attraction backmost past wasn't what it could person been [on world shows successful general]. Now the work of attraction is considerable.

"I deliberation it's precise important to abstracted the emotions and the terribleness of what's happened to Liam... That is galore years aft helium near One Direction... On the flip side, immoderate members of One Direction person gone connected to person large occurrence and large enjoyment successful the lives. It's not achromatic and white."

He acknowledged that "fame is not what it seems to be... you've got a cardinal friends but you've got nary friends".

"I ever say, artists are the astir delicate radical successful a precise hard business."

The BPI, the commercialized assemblage representing grounds labels, said there's present "so overmuch much focus" connected the wellbeing of artists, and knowing of the pressures they face.

Labels instrumentality "an progressive role" successful their artists' welfare, and determination is "a scope of support" from managers arsenic good arsenic organisations similar Music Support and Help Musicians, which connection "a breadth of pastoral support", a BPI spokesperson told BBC News.

"The euphony assemblage is continually reasoning what further attraction tin beryllium provided. The BPI is committed to supporting its members and the wider manufacture successful ensuring that creator wellbeing remains a priority."

Music absorption advisor Marcus Anthony told 5 Live connected Sunday: "The euphony manufacture is alert that these happening request to beryllium addressed, and large euphony events and conventions clasp seminars and discussions astir creator payment and things are getting better.

"But immoderate managers and labels volition ever prioritise the lb implicit the artist."