Raul Malo, lead singer and guitarist of the Mavericks, has died at the age of 60.
Last summer Malo told fans he’d been diagnosed with colon cancer, and in September this year the Mavericks co-founder announced he was also contending with LMD – leptomeningeal disease – which is a rare complication of cancer, which sees it spread to the brain and spinal cord.
Malo’s representatives have confirmed his cause of death was cancer.
‘It’s with the deepest grief we share the passing of our friend, bandmate and brother Raul Malo on December 8th, 2025 at the age of 60,’ the country band announced on social media.
‘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.
‘While his spirited performances garnered a massive & loyal following, and his powerful songwriting and musicianship earned multiple Grammy, ACM, and CMA awards, it was his lifelong commitment to the preservation of the multi-lingual American musical repertoire of which he was most proud, making history in 2020 with the first album ever to debut at the top of both the Latin Pop and Folk-Americana charts.
‘It was this commitment, along with his steadfast championing of music education as an inspiration for every child across America and throughout the world, for which Raul was honored with the Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and the National Music Council of the United States’ American Eagle Award.
‘Though his earthly body may have passed, Raul’s spirit will live on forever in heaven, and here on earth through the music, joy, and light he brought forth. His contributions to American and Latin music will be everlasting, as his songs and voice touched fans and fellow artists around the world.
Malo is survived by his wife of 34 years, Betty; sons Dino, Victor, and Max, mother Norma, sister Carol, and Mavericks bandmates Paul Deakin, Eddie Perez, and Jerry Dale McFadden.
‘The family thanks everyone for their love & support, and asks for privacy at this time,’ the statement ended.
‘No one embodied life and love, joy and passion, family, friends, music, and adventure the way our beloved Raul did,’ Malo’s wife Betty added. ‘Now he will look down on us with all that heaven will allow, lighting the way and reminding us to savor every moment.’
Born in Miami in 1965, Malo was known for his bold, powerful singing voice, and hugely entertaining performances.
Malo was the son of Cuban parents who moved to the USA to pursue the ‘American dream’, he once told Rolling Stone, under the promise you would not be ‘persecuted for your religious beliefs, skin color or ethnicity’.
In 1989, when Malo was 24, he formed Mavericks with Reynolds and Deakin, creating a mash up of genres spanning country music, rock and Latin.
After their first two albums – the self-titled debut and 1992’s From Hell to Paradise – they found their big break in 1994’s What a Crying Shame, which burst them into public consciousness with tracks including There Goes My Heart and O What a Thrill.
1995 album Music for All Occasions brought them their biggest country hit in All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down, which hit number 13 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, and led to a number of consecutive CMA wins and a Grammy.
The band split in 1999 and Malo launched a solo career, leading him to experiment and sing in Spanish, which continued when the band reformed in 2011. As well as having a boundless voice, Malo was a deft guitar player, and even released an instrumental album displaying this talent.
As his cancer spread in September Malo announced the Mavericks would be cancelling the remainder of their concerts. He had continued to tour despite his 2024 diagnosis.
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