Raul Malo, frontman of the Mavericks, has passed away at the age of 60.
Variety reports:
Raul Malo, whose rich voice was the defining train of the Mavericks, the fittingly named group who brought Latin flavor and lively rock vibe to country music in the 1990s, died on Monday, the band announced on social media. No cause of death was cited, but he announced back in June that he was battling Stage 4 colon cancer; he was 60.
Malo announced his illness in 2024 and, as noted by Rolling Stone, the group played the latest of their annual concerts at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium just a few days ago. “The shows were celebratory, deeply emotional homages to Malo and his impact on music, featuring special guests like Rodney Crowell, Steve Earle, and Maggie Rose,” the publication wrote. “Malo, who received the American Eagle Award from the National Music Council of the United States, couldn’t attend but sent an acceptance letter to be read.”
“Music has been the guiding force of my entire life. It carried me from my Cuban American childhood in Miami to stages across the world. It introduced me to my brothers, the Mavericks. It gave me a home in Nashville, Tennessee. It allowed me to raise my three incredible sons, Dino, Vincent, and Max, who are my greatest pride and joy. And it connected me to you fans whose love has sustained me through every chapter of this journey,” it read.
“In these past months, I’ve had to fight battles I’ve never imagined,” his note concluded. “But on the hardest of days, music remained my companion. Your letters, your stories of how a song helped you through loss, heartbreak, joy, those became our songs. You all carried me more than you know… Thank you for giving my voice a place to live, even when my body cannot be the one delivering it.”
Devastating.
Our deepest condolences to Malo’s family, friends, and fans.
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