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Valient Thorr Frontman to Donate Kidney, Postpones Shows

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Valiant indeed! In a selfless move made public to draw attention to the National Kidney Foundation, Valient Himself, frontman of Chapel Hill, NC rockers Valient Thorr, will go under the knife April 29 to have to a kidney removed and transplanted into his sick father. All of the band’s shows have been canceled through June 10, at which point they will hit the road in support of Immortalizer, their latest album out June 17 via Volcom.

Valient Himself, also the author of an amusing SPIN.com tour blog, hopes his noble move will motivate others to do the same. “If I can go from a hospital bed to playing in front of a crowd of 75,000 at the UK’s Download Festival in just eight weeks, people out there might consider becoming organ donors as well,” the Viking-like frontman said. “If they have family members who need a kidney, it’s definitely something to think about; and if not, they can still learn about designating themselves as organ donors on their driver’s license.”

Catherine Paykin, Transplant Services Program Director for the National Kidney Foundation, added: “We are delighted that Valient Himself has decided to take his donation story public. We hope that it serves to shed light on the lifesaving power of organ donation and encourages others to get involved.We wish him and his father a speedy recovery.”

For more information on kidney donations, visit kidney.org or livingdonors.com.