Raul Malo, Voice Behind The Mavericks, Passes Away at 60
“Raul Malo, Cambridge Festivals 2001-2014 (6001910200)” by Bryan Ledgard is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Raul Malo, the co-founder, veteran voice and guitarist behind the Grammy-winning Latin-infused country ensemble The Mavericks, passed away on Monday, December 8, according to an announcement from the group on behalf of the deceased’s family. Malo’s cause of death was cancer. He was 60.
This morning, The Mavericks shared the news via a social media post, which reads:
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.
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.
Raul is survived by his loving 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.
Malo received an initial colon cancer diagnosis in June 2024. In September 2025, he shared an update, announcing his battle against leptomeningeal disease, causing cancer to spread to the meninges–affecting the brain and spinal cord.
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The Mavericks coalesced in 1989 in Miami, when Malo crossed paths with Robert Reynolds. Both artists were playing in local bands independently. Still, they forged a bond over their shared musical affinity for icons like Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash—the trio of country-tinged greats who ultimately inspired the creation of their future group.
Malo and Reynolds tapped Paul Deakin to sit behind the kit, then completed the original lineup through the arrival of guitarist Ben Peeler. The Mavericks initially achieved local success, performing around Miami and breaking barriers with their commitment to playing original music rather than the desired country covers.
In 1990, the band released their self-titled debut LP, and followed up two years later with From Hell to Paradise. Ultimately, it was 1994’s What a Crying Shame that propelled their success, including the launch of the title track, as well as “O What a Thrill,” and “There Goes My Heart.”
The group continued their feat of success with Music For All Occasions, which housed their hit “All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down,” penned by Malo, Al Anderson, and Texas great and accordion player, Flaco Jiménez. The track reached No. 13 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs and became the group’s de facto anthem and enduring live staple.
The arrival of their third album, the aforementioned Music For All Occasions, represented the first in a series of CMA wins and earned recognition, including their first Grammy award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for “Here Comes the Rain.”
Despite a prolific period for the band, internal conflicts led to their breakup in 1999, which subsequently launched Malo’s solo career, accounting for 2001’s debut collection, Today. The record helped usher in a new phase for Malo, who sang in Spanish on select songs.
The Mavericks eventually reunited in 2011. They released two records, 2013’s In Time and 2015’s Mono. The group continued to meld their joint musician sensibilities, turning out Brand New Day (2017), Hey! Merry Christmas! (2018), Play the Hits (2019), En Español (2020), and most recently, Moon & Stars (2024).
When asked about the band’s reunion in a 2012 Relix interview, Mano said, “The one thing I know is that I know nothing. That anything can happen and you don’t take anything for granted. There are always doubts. It is like you are building an airplane and you wonder if it will fly. That’s what it feels like. You are getting to release this record. You wonder what it will do, how it will be received and there are so many facets. What I mean by flying is everything together not necessarily a hit record in the conventional terms. I mean getting your record out there and let it be written about and spoken about and hopefully people get to hear it. That’s what I mean about letting it fly. You don’t know if it will. You hope it will. You think it will.”
