"Singing in a boyband? Not until after my 18th birthday from now on." Top music industry execs call for ban on unnecessarily young stars

A tribute to the singer's memory

Payne was 31 years old when he died on October 16 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. According to a preliminary autopsy, the singer succumbed to the injuries he sustained in the fall. Many people have paid tribute to Payne's memory, from his bandmates in One Direction to his former partner Cheryl, who condemned the way some media outlets reported on the performer's death.

Not much has changed since the days of Take That

Payne was 16 years old when he joined One Direction on the X Factor. Guy Chambers, a former songwriter for Robbie Williams, is now calling for the music industry to stop working with talent under the age of 18. "I think putting a 16-year-old into the adult world is potentially very damaging. Robbie has certainly experienced that," Chambers said in an interview with The Observer.

Boybands? For adults only

"I've got four kids, so I think about it a lot. I know that in Robbie's case, with Take That, there was no proper protection put in place to make sure that teenage boys were looked after," Chambers assessed. "It's been a long time but I don't see much sign of change. From what I've observed, the people involved in the big talent contests on television don't give it much more real care." He continued by saying, "I would suggest that no one should be allowed to join a boyband until they are eighteen and I think the industry should stick to that as well."

Tragedy through the eyes of Robbie Williams

Fifty-year-old Robbie Williams also added a strong message when he said that Payne's problems with living in the spotlight were similar to his own - and that he was trying to lend a hand and support him.

"Even at thirty-one, I had my demons. I had a relapse. I've experienced pain. I experienced pain because I relapsed. I relapsed for a lot of painful reasons. I remember when Heath Ledger left, I thought 'I'm next'. By the grace of God and/or dumb luck, I'm still here."

Williams, who has long been vocal about his own experiences with the hardships of fame and with alcohol and drug addiction, then listed various lessons for people to take away from Payne's death. For example, "we don't know what's going on in other people's lives" and "be kind".

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Even the famous have feelings

"Before we judge, we should put the car in reverse," he stressed in capital letters. "Before you post something online, think about whether you really need to post it. Because that's what you're doing: posting your thoughts for anyone to read. Even if you don't actually think the celebrities or their families exist. But they f**king do. They're flesh and blood and they're extremely sensitive."

He continued, "Unfortunately, the internet will continue to be the internet. The media will unfortunately continue to be the media and fame will continue to be fame. However, as individuals, we have the power to change ourselves. We can be kinder. We can be more empathetic. We can at least try to be more compassionate towards ourselves, our family, our friends, strangers in our lives and strangers on the internet." He added that even "strangers among the famous need your compassion."

Williams concluded by describing Payne as a "handsome talented boy" and said his death is a tragic and painful loss not only for his family and friends, but for the rest of the world.

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