Soulful tenor and frontman of The Mavericks, Raul Malo, has died at age 60

Frontman Raul Malo, centre, and The Mavericks perform during the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular in Boston on July 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)

NEW YORK — Raul Malo, the soulful tenor and frontman of the genre-defying, Grammy-winning band The Mavericks, has died. He was 60.

Malo died Monday night, his wife, Betty Malo, posted on his Facebook page. He had been battling cancer. The frontman of The Mavericks had documented his health journey on social media since he disclosed in June 2024 that he was receiving treatment for colon cancer.

In September 2025, Malo said on Instagram that he was battling LMD, or leptomeningeal disease, a rare complication when cancer spreads to membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord.

The diagnosis forced The Mavericks to cancel dates with Dwight Yoakam in the middle of a joint tour. Malo left home in Nashville, Tennessee, to seek treatment in Houston, keeping his fans updated along his health journey.

“He was called to do another gig — this time in the sky — and he’s flying high like an eagle,” Betty Malo wrote. “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.”

Malo’s band praised his deep commitment to the “preservation of the multilingual American musical repertoire” and his steadfast championing of “music education as an inspiration for every child across America and throughout the world.”

Born Raul Francisco Martínez-Malo Jr. in Miami to Cuban parents, he co-founded The Mavericks in 1989 with drummer Paul Deakin and bass guitarist Robert Reynolds. Their self-titled debut album was released the following year on the independent, Miami-based label Y&T Music.

Some call the band alt-country. Others describe it as Americana, roots, Latin, Tejano or swing. It’s all of the above and more, driven by songs written by Malo, his expansive guitar style and his broad vocal range, from a soaring, velvety baritone to operatic high notes.

His musical prowess was in the blend, also incorporating rock, traditional country and surf. In the early days in Miami, The Mavericks played punk and rock clubs to get their sound out there.

“I grew up in a household where we listened to all kinds of music,” Malo said in a 2020 NPR interview. “I just remember it was a celebration of all these cultures.”

At that time, The Mavericks had just released an all-Spanish album, “En Español,” featuring original songs and classic Latin American standards. In 2002, Malo released an all-Spanish album for children, “el Cancionero de la Familia Volume 1,” featuring vocals from his sister, Carol, wife, Betty, and mother, Norma, along with other guests.

The band has taken on various iterations over the years as some members came and went. The Mavericks also disbanded a couple of times. Malo put out a dozen or so solo albums and collaboration projects as well, including his instrumental “Say Less,” “You’re Only Lonely” and “Sinners & Saints.”

The Mavericks released their 13th studio album, “Moon & Stars,” in 2024. Between that and their debut, the band received a Grammy, two Country Music Association awards and three Academy of Country Music Awards.

Raul has a BMI award for songwriting, for “All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down,” and was nominated for several solo Grammys, including one for his album “Lucky One” and another for his work with the Latin supergroup “Los Super Seven.”

He 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.