Before Payne’s tragic death at age 31 from a fatal fall off the balcony of his Argentina hotel room, he shared what he believed made fatherhood beautiful as a working parent.

“I always wanted to be a young dad, but I didn’t really expect that I’d ever be in this place,” he told People in July 2018. “When I’m at home, I’m a dad. Then when I [work], I see all these crazy things.”

The former boyband member, referring to Disney’s Hannah Montana, teased, “I’ve been going by Dada Montana.”

Payne—who was in a relationship with TikToker Kate Cassidy for approximately two years at the time of his death—admitted that it did drive him a little crazy just how fast the night had changed when it came to Bear.

“It just goes by so quickly,” he told the outlet. “He was already huge when he was born. I walked past a baby in the park and was like, ‘Mine was never that small!’ He was always massive.”

“I look at him, like, ‘Where’s my little baby gone already?'” he teased. “He’s walking around the house, pretending his teddy’s a phone. He’s awesome. And a lot of fun. I love spending time with him.”

As Payne’s loved ones continue to navigate their new normal, keep reading for a closer look at what we know about the singer’s unexpected passing.