Tributes paid following death of The Mavericks’ singer Raul Malo at 60

Tributes have been paid following the death of Raul Malo, frontman of The Mavericks, at the age of 60.

Malo’s wife, Betty, confirmed his death in a statement shared on his social media accounts, saying he died on Monday night (December 8).

Malo had been receiving treatment for cancer, announcing in June 2024 that he had been diagnosed with colon cancer, which led to the cancellation of several shows that year.

Earlier in 2025, he revealed that the disease had progressed to leptomeningeal disease, a complication affecting the membranes around the brain and spinal cord. All remaining tour dates for the year were cancelled shortly afterwards.

 

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In a statement, The Mavericks described Malo as “a force of human nature, with an infectious energy” and “an unrivalled, generational talent,” adding that his influence across American and Latin music “will be everlasting.”

Percy Cardona, the band’s touring accordionist, wrote: “There is nothing I can really say about this man that people who were touched by him don’t already know."

Musician Chris Isaak shared a tribute noting that Malo had left “a treasure of music.” Country artist Ricky Valido credited Malo with helping him see a place for his own Cuban American heritage within country music. Shooter Jennings called him “a performer and craftsman of the highest order.”

 

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Born on August 7, 1965, in Miami to Cuban parents, Malo founded The Mavericks in 1989 with bassist Robert Reynolds. The band released their debut album the following year, and went on to combine country, rock, pop, Latin and Tejano influences across a catalogue that included multiple charting singles. They disbanded in 2000, reunited in 2003, and once again in 2011.

The Mavericks achieved 15 entries on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, including their highest-charting US hit, ‘All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down’ in 1996. In the UK, their most successful single was 1998’s ‘Dance the Night Away,’ which reached Number Four. The band won one Grammy Award, two Country Music Association awards, and three Academy of Country Music awards.

Raul Malo is survived by his wife, Betty; their sons Max, Vincent, and Dino; his mother, Norma; and his sister, Carol.

 

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