Mavericks Frontman Raul Malo Dies Following Battle With Cancer

/by

Raul Malo. Photo: Michael Weintrob

Raul Malo, the unmistakable voice and charismatic frontman of the Grammy-winning band The Mavericks, has passed away after a battle with cancer. He was 60.

The son of Cuban parents who came to the U.S. in search of a better life, Malo was born in Miami in 1965. He founded The Mavericks with drummer Paul Deakin and bassist Robert Reynolds in 1989, and the band’s genre-defying gumbo of rock and country swirled with Latin horns and beats soon caught the ears of Nashville. After releasing an indie album, they signed with MCA Nashville in 1991, and subsequently released their 1992 debut “From Hell To Paradise.” 1994’s What a Crying Shame yielded the singles “There Goes My Heart” and “O What a Thrill,” which built on their growing popularity.

A talented songwriter and musician, Malo and the band’s 1995 album Music for All Occasions yielded their biggest country hit, “All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down,” which was penned by Malo and Al Anderson and featured colorful accordionist and singer Flaco Jiménez. The song hit No. 13 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart and became the Mavericks’ signature song during their legendary live performances. The album also helped fuel the band’s consecutive CMA wins for Vocal Group of the Year in 1995 and 1996, and its first Grammy win for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal, for “Here Comes the Rain.”

Malo dominated any stage he stepped on with his inimitable soaring vocals and swaggering style, and the group weathered many changes through the decades and recorded and toured together for over 30 years. Malo’s hits include “Here Comes the Rain,” “What A Crying Shame,” “Dance The Night Away” and “Back In Your Arms Again,” and he also helped write and produce country artist Rick Trevino’s song “In My Dreams” in 2003. The Mavericks disbanded in 2000 for a time, and Malo then pursued a solo career and released nine albums of his own. He also played with the Los Super Seven, a Grammy-winning Latin American collective.

The Mavericks reunited in 2011 and signed with Big Machine Label Group, releasing two albums for the Nashville label, 2013’s In Time and 2015’s Mono. The group has been actively touring and recording since, and in 2018, they won a Grammy for their self-released album Brand New Day in the Americana category. The group lineup of Malo, Deakin, keyboardist Jerry Dale McFadden and guitarist Eddie Perez released their latest album, Moon & Stars, in 2024.

Following that release, Malo shared with fans that he had been diagnosed with colon cancer, and after undergoing liver tumor surgery and chemotherapy, in September revealed that the cancer had progressed to leptomeningeal disease, a complication of advanced cancer where fluid surrounds the brain and spinal cord.

Last week just days before Malo’s death, the band carried on with the planned “Dance The Night Away” tribute shows at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. The band issued a statement following his passing, saying: “It’s with the deepest grief we share the passing of our friend, bandmate and brother Raul Malo. Anyone with the pleasure of being in Raul’s orbit knew that he was a force of human nature, with an infectious energy. Over a career of more than three decades entertaining millions around the globe, his towering creative contributions and unrivaled, generational talent created the kind of multicultural American music reaching far beyond America itself.”

Malo’s wife Betty also posted a statement on socials: “My love… our boys’ father… a devoted son and brother… and a friend to so many, gained his angel wings. He was called to do another gig — this time in the sky — and he’s flying high like an eagle. No one embodied life and love, joy and passion, family, friends, music, and adventure the way our beloved Raul did, Now he will look down on us with all that heaven will allow, lighting the way and reminding us to savor every moment. Dino, Victor, Max and I — along with our entire family — thank all of you for your love and support through all of this. We felt every bit of it.”

Lorie Hollabaugh
Latest posts by Lorie Hollabaugh (see all)