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 co-wrote many of the band’s most popular songs, along with Rick Trevino’s 2003 hit “In My Dreams,” and also worked as a solo performer and a member of the Los Super Seven supergroup. The Mavericks split in 1999 but reformed in 2015 and toured regularly. He released nine solo albums and a dozen studio efforts with the Mavericks, the most recent being 2024’s “Moon & Stars.”
“Anyone with the pleasure of being in Raul’s orbit knew that he was a force of human nature, with an infectious energy,” the band wrote on Instagram. “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 the entire band was a powerhouse, as lead singer Malo brought not only strong, soulful vocals that could veer between a Roy Orbison-esque baritone croon and country twang, but a genial humor that often manifested itself during the group’s concerts. The Mavericks earned their chops playing South Florida bars and frequently worked covers into their set; this writer can remember seeing them perform an impromptu version of “Moon River” that was sung unforgettably by Malo.
Born in Miami in 1965 to Cuban parents, Malo first united with the future Mavericks in 1989 as a rock band called the Basics. Malo initially was on bass and backing vocals, along with lead singer-guitarist Robert Reynolds, drummer Paul Deaking and lead guitarist Ben Peeler. Yet the band’s formula gelled when Malo and Reynolds switched places, with the former eventually becoming the primary songwriter and producer.
The group released their self-titled debut album in 1990 and followed with “From Hell to Paradise” two years later. But they broke through with 1994’s “What a Crying Shame,” scoring hits with the title track and “There Goes My Heart.” The band’s popularity rose through the ‘90s, scoring a major country hit with “All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down,” featuring Tex-Mex star Flaco Jiménez, and winning several CMA awards.
Yet the band split in 1999 and Malo embarked on a solo career, releasing albums through 2023 that found him exploring multiple different genres, often backed by orchestration or singing in Spanish. The Maverick’s reunited in 2011, signed with Big Machine Records and enjoyed a second successful run, touring regularly and releasing several albums for the label before going independent.
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.”
