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"UPDATE: Alex Band, the lead singer of The Calling, was abducted and beaten this weekend in Michigan, he confirmed in a statement to Us Weekly hours after reports first emerged. The rocker was walking from his hotel in Lapeer, Mich., to a nearby mini-mart at around 4 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 18, when some people in a van pulled up alongside him and took him off the street.\r\nThe statement notes that the star was &amp;quot;left for dead&amp;quot; by his abductors. &amp;quot;After a heavily attended Lapeer Days Festival, the singer was abducted after the show during a trip to the mini-mart. Alex was grabbed his shirt and hit from behind and lost his footing,&amp;quot; the statement explains. It goes on to say that he was beaten with a police baton and had a gun pointed at his face while his abductors demanded his so-called &amp;quot;Hollywood money.&amp;quot;\r\n\r\n&amp;quot;After Band fought back, he was cornered in the van with the gun to his face, and Band told the assailants, &amp;apos;Don&amp;apos;t kill me as I am about to be a dad,&amp;apos;&amp;quot; the statement continues. &amp;quot;After more beating, the assailants responded with &amp;apos;We don&amp;apos;t kill fathers&amp;apos; and then left him for dead at a local railroad track in Lapeer.&amp;quot; He suffered a fractured lower spine, a gash on his chin requiring 15 stitches, three broken teeth, and bruising to his side and stomach.\r\n\r\n&amp;quot;I never thought my unborn child would be my savior,&amp;quot; Band says in the statement. &amp;quot;I am grateful to be alive and I know that I am destined for bringing my music back to my fans.&amp;quot; He adds that drugs and alcohol were not involved in the incident, saying: &amp;quot;I take my rehabilitation very seriously. I was near death due to this unbelievable situation and the rumors are categorically false.&amp;quot;\r\nSources previously told TMZ the abductors beat the 32-year-old Band severely  before dumping him on some local train tracks. He was discovered a short  time later.\r\n\r\nBand and his The Calling bandmates -- who split in 2005 but reportedly reunited just recently -- were in Lapeer for a music festival. Another member of the group (known for the song &amp;quot;Wherever You Will Go&amp;quot;) reportedly noticed that the singer had gone missing on Sunday morning and then assembled a search party.\r\nLaw enforcement officials wouldn&amp;apos;t confirm the details of the incident to TMZ, but the site says that a report was filed and that cops are currently investigating. Band himself has not yet responded to TMZ&amp;apos;s request for comment. His condition is unclear."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/the-callings-alex-band-abducted-beaten-in-michigan-report-2013198>