{"id":212933,"date":"2025-12-09T12:28:32","date_gmt":"2025-12-09T17:28:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/2025\/12\/09\/the-mavericks-lead-singer-raul-malo-dead-at-60-after-cancer-battle-3\/"},"modified":"2025-12-09T12:28:32","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T17:28:32","slug":"the-mavericks-lead-singer-raul-malo-dead-at-60-after-cancer-battle-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/2025\/12\/09\/the-mavericks-lead-singer-raul-malo-dead-at-60-after-cancer-battle-3\/","title":{"rendered":"The Mavericks Lead Singer Raul Malo Dead at 60 After Cancer\u00a0Battle"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><!-- no image --><\/p>\n<div><!-- do not apply CSS styles to this element! --><\/p>\n<div class=\"pmc-paywall\">\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tRaul Malo, whose operatic, lush lead vocals led the eclectic musical group <a data-id=\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/artist\/the-mavericks\/\" data-type=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/artist\/the-mavericks\/\">The Mavericks<\/a>, died Monday (Dec. 8) at age 60 following a battle with cancer.<\/p>\n<div class=\"injected-related-story \/\/ lrv-u-display-inline-block lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-margin-t-2 u-margin-t-26@mobile-max u-margin-b-0.875@mobile-max u-margin-b-150@tablet u-border-t-12 lrv-u-padding-t-025 u-padding-b-1.313 lrv-u-padding-b-125@mobile-max lrv-u-border-color-black\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<h3 id=\"title-of-a-story\" class=\"c-title  lrv-a-unstyle-link lrv-u-whitespace-nowrap u-font-weight-700 lrv-u-display-inline-block u-line-height-18px a-font-accent u-letter-spacing-0225 u-font-size-16 lrv-u-color-black lrv-u-text-transform-uppercase u-article-badge-underline a-article-esp u-display-inline-flex lrv-u-margin-b-1@mobile-max u-margin-b-9@tablet\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\tRelated\t\t<\/p>\n<\/h3><\/div>\n<div class=\"injected-related-story-wrapper lrv-u-flex lrv-u-justify-content-space-between lrv-u-padding-tb-050@desktop a-children-border-vertical a-children-border--grey a-children-border-width-050\">\n<div class=\"o-card \">\n<p>\t\t\t<a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/photos\/musicians-who-died-2025-1235881159\/\" class=\"lrv-u-color-black:hover lrv-u-flex u-flex-direction-column@desktop\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"c-lazy-image  lrv-u-margin-b-075 lrv-u-margin-b-00@mobile-max u-width-130px@mobile-max\">\n<div class=\"a-crop-6x4 a-crop-3x2@mobile-max\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/music\/music-news\/raul-malo-death-mavericks-lead-singer-dead-cancer-1236132199\/\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ace-frehley-2021-billboard-1800.jpg?w=237&amp;h=147&amp;crop=1\" alt=\"Ace Frehley\" data-lazy-srcset=\"\" data-lazy-sizes=\"auto\" height=\"\" width=\"\"><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"o-card__content \">\n<p><span class=\"c-span  lrv-u-whitespace-nowrap\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"o_category \">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"c_title \">\n<h3 id=\"title-of-a-story\" class=\"c-title  a-font-basic-fancy u-font-size-15 u-font-size-15.5@mobile-max u-line-height-22px u-padding-r-0.188@desktop u-word-spacing-0013 u-line-height-22.5px@mobile-max a-truncate-ellipsis-4line@mobile-max a-truncate-ellipsis-3line\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\tGone But Not Forgotten: Musicians We Lost in\u00a02025\t\t<\/p>\n<\/h3><\/div>\n<p><time class=\"c-timestamp  \" datetime=\"00:00-YY-DD-MM\"><\/p>\n<p><\/time><\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o-card \">\n<p>\t\t\t<a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/music\/music-news\/gloria-gaynor-wonderful-exchange-donald-trump-1236132167\/\" class=\"lrv-u-color-black:hover lrv-u-flex u-flex-direction-column@desktop\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"c-lazy-image  lrv-u-margin-b-075 lrv-u-margin-b-00@mobile-max u-width-130px@mobile-max\">\n<div class=\"a-crop-6x4 a-crop-3x2@mobile-max\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/music\/music-news\/raul-malo-death-mavericks-lead-singer-dead-cancer-1236132199\/\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/gloria-gaynor-july-2025-billboard-1800.jpg?w=237&amp;h=147&amp;crop=1\" alt=\"Gloria Gaynor visits SiriusXM Studios on June 02, 2025 in New York City.\" data-lazy-srcset=\"\" data-lazy-sizes=\"auto\" height=\"\" width=\"\"><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"o-card__content \">\n<p><span class=\"c-span  lrv-u-whitespace-nowrap\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"o_category \">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"c_title \">\n<h3 id=\"title-of-a-story\" class=\"c-title  a-font-basic-fancy u-font-size-15 u-font-size-15.5@mobile-max u-line-height-22px u-padding-r-0.188@desktop u-word-spacing-0013 u-line-height-22.5px@mobile-max a-truncate-ellipsis-4line@mobile-max a-truncate-ellipsis-3line\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\tGloria Gaynor Had a &lsquo;Wonderful&rsquo; Exchange With Donald Trump Before Kennedy Center Honors\t\t<\/p>\n<\/h3><\/div>\n<p><time class=\"c-timestamp  \" datetime=\"00:00-YY-DD-MM\"><\/p>\n<p><\/time><\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o-card \">\n<p>\t\t\t<a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/music\/rb-hip-hop\/odeal-signs-global-deal-sony-music-publishing-1236132047\/\" class=\"lrv-u-color-black:hover lrv-u-flex u-flex-direction-column@desktop\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"c-lazy-image  lrv-u-margin-b-075 lrv-u-margin-b-00@mobile-max u-width-130px@mobile-max\">\n<div class=\"a-crop-6x4 a-crop-3x2@mobile-max\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/music\/music-news\/raul-malo-death-mavericks-lead-singer-dead-cancer-1236132199\/\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/feature-odeal-billboard-2025-bb13-malike-sidibe-4-1800.jpg?w=237&amp;h=147&amp;crop=1\" alt=\"Feature, Odeal\" data-lazy-srcset=\"\" data-lazy-sizes=\"auto\" height=\"\" width=\"\"><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"o-card__content \">\n<p><span class=\"c-span  lrv-u-whitespace-nowrap\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"o_category \">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"c_title \">\n<h3 id=\"title-of-a-story\" class=\"c-title  a-font-basic-fancy u-font-size-15 u-font-size-15.5@mobile-max u-line-height-22px u-padding-r-0.188@desktop u-word-spacing-0013 u-line-height-22.5px@mobile-max a-truncate-ellipsis-4line@mobile-max a-truncate-ellipsis-3line\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\tOdeal Signs Global Deal With Sony Music Publishing\t\t<\/p>\n<\/h3><\/div>\n<p><time class=\"c-timestamp  \" datetime=\"00:00-YY-DD-MM\"><\/p>\n<p><\/time><\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t\u201cAt 8:52 pm on December 8th, 2025, my love\u2026 our boys\u2019 father\u2026 a devoted son and brother\u2026 and a friend to so many, gained his angel wings,\u201d Betty Malo, the musician\u2019s wife, wrote in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/raulmalomusic\/posts\/pfbid0Ez24fKeLJy8LcCq16AQmEpKSKh3N4y3cNzgVqjSWEJDxsRNQoBiy47KrNCwKCFBhl\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/raulmalomusic\/posts\/pfbid0Ez24fKeLJy8LcCq16AQmEpKSKh3N4y3cNzgVqjSWEJDxsRNQoBiy47KrNCwKCFBhl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">statement<\/a> posted on Malo\u2019s official Facebook page Tuesday (Dec. 9). \u201cHe was called to do another gig \u2014 this time in the sky \u2014 and he\u2019s flying high like an eagle. 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. Dino, Victor, Max and I \u2014 along with our entire family \u2014 thank all of you for your love and support through all of this. We felt every bit of it.In Raul\u2019s own words: \u2018Much\u00edsimas gracias.&rsquo;\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tThe Mavericks posted on the group\u2019s official Facebook <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TheMavericksMusic\/posts\/pfbid02oZa53RXfh7Fz6rXgDTj7XT1iDABd7j5TrUGVy8QhvX9SZ5eJhLVdgFAAjrA27oowl\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TheMavericksMusic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">page<\/a>, writing, \u201cIt\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tThe statement continued: \u201cAnyone with the pleasure of being in Raul\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t\u201cWhile his spirited performances garnered a massive &amp; 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,\u201d the group said before concluding, \u201cThough his earthly body may have passed, Raul\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tIn June 2024, Malo, whose rich, pure voice drew comparisons to Roy Orbison\u2019s crystalline tone, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/music\/country\/the-mavericks-lead-singer-raul-malo-health-update-1235720646\/\">revealed that <\/a>he had been diagnosed with colon cancer, though the band continued to tour with Dwight Yoakam through his treatments. However, this year, they had to cancel tour dates due to his health battle, and the cancer then spread to his brain. On Dec. 5 and 6, many of Malo\u2019s friends and musical colleagues \u2014 including Rodney Crowell, Steve Earle and Nitty Gritty Dirt Band\u2019s Jeff Hanna \u2014 gathered for two shows at Nashville\u2019s Ryman Auditorium to celebrate Malo and the band\u2019s indelible contributions to music. Malo had been hospitalized on Dec. 4 and was unable to attend.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tAs Betty Malo chronicled on social media, Malo\u2019s last few months were filled with music, as friends, colleagues and fellow musicians would drop by the house to play music with Malo and then for him as his condition deteriorated. He reunited with former Mavericks cofounder Robert Reynolds, who was dismissed from the band in 2014, as well as Thomas Anthony, his bandmate in the Tomboys, Malo\u2019s teenage band before the Mavericks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tMalo, a first-generation Cuban-American, was born in Miami in 1965. Malo, who had a reverence for crooners like Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra, often covering them as he got older,  grew up in a bilingual household, and soaked in sounds of jazz, pop, country, Latin music and rock. Through the decades, the band\u2019s music would draw upon that array of sounds to create their own musical hybrid.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tThe Mavericks originated in Miami, before music exec Tony Brown signed the group to MCA in 1991. The band released its MCA debut album <em>From Hell to Paradise <\/em>in 1992, followed by the project <em>What a Crying Shame<\/em>, which was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The album was propelled by \u201cWhat a Crying Shame,\u201d \u201cOh, What a Thrill\u201d and \u201cThere Goes My Heart,\u201d all of which charted in the 20s on Billboard Hot Country Songs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t\u201cTo my brother, Raul! From the very beginning, I always felt a kindred spirit with the music that we both loved and our foundational punk rock attitude toward the industry,\u201d said Big Machine Label Group founder\/CEO Scott Borchetta in a statement to <em>Billboard.<\/em> Borchetta worked with the band from its early days at MCA as a promotion executive, and later signed them to BMLG\u2019s Valory imprint. \u201c[Raul] was the ultimate rock star and he did it his way. I am forever grateful and proud of what we did together. He was a generational talent.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tThe Mavericks won a Grammy for best country performance by a duo or group with vocals for its hit \u201cHere Comes the Rain,\u201d and earned eight Grammy nominations. In 1995 and 1996, the band was named the CMA\u2019s vocal group of the year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tThe group was both a critical and commercial success, though mainstream radio programmers didn\u2019t always seem to know how to deal with its melange of musical styles. The Mavericks\u2019 highest charting single was the rollicking \u201cAll You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down\u201d (featuring Flaco Jim\u00e9nez), which reached No. 13 on <em>Billboard<\/em>\u2018s Top Country Songs chart in 1996.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tInstead, the band built its devoted following mainly from its live shows, which were boisterous, sweat-soaked rowdy affairs with stellar musicianship on display surrounding Malo\u2019s otherworldly vocals.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t\u201cRaul was a force on stage with the voice of both an angel and a tiger,\u201d <em>Austin City Limits<\/em> executive producer Terry Lickona tells <em>Billboard<\/em>. \u201cThe Mavericks first appeared on <em>ACL<\/em> 30 years ago, did one of our only pandemic shows \u2014 without\u00a0an audience \u2014 and kicked off our 50th anniversary special last year.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tIn the 2000s, The Mavericks went on hiatus, but Malo continued creating music, including solo albums and work with the group Los Super Seven. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tThe Mavericks reunited in 2012 and released the album <em>In Time<\/em>. In 2015, it was named duo\/group of the year at the Americana Music Honors &amp; Awards. The Mavericks continued exploring new creative spaces. In 2020, the band recorded an album entirely in Spanish, as the group reimagined traditional songs from Latin America songs on <em>En Espa\u00f1ol<\/em>. Its most recent release, 2024\u2019s\u00a0<em>Moon &amp; Stars<\/em>, featured appearances from Sierra Ferrell, Maggie Rose, Nicole Atkins and Max Abrams.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tTributes from his fellow artists have been pouring in. Otto <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DSC9ijulB6i\/\">posted on social media<\/a>, \u201cRIP Maestro. I wish you could have made it to the Ryman show to witness the tremendous outpouring of love from your friends and fans. Raul left behind a loving family and a decades long musical legacy of excellence. Please say a prayer for him &amp; the whole Malo family.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tProducer Shooter Jennings <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/shooterjennings\/status\/1998407100368892169\" target=\"_blank\">posted on X<\/a>, \u201cRest in peace Raul Malo! I loved the Mavericks. We got to hang many times and I used to tell him how much I went crazy for his version of \u2018Us and Them.\u2019 A performer and craftsman of the highest order.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tCountry singer Randy Houser added, \u201cI remember lying in my dorm in Mississippi listening to the Mavericks and just blown away by [Malo\u2019s] beautiful, God-given voice. He truly was an inspiration.\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tMalo is survived by his wife of 34 years, Betty, as well as sons Dino, Victor and Max; his mother, Norma; sister Carol; and Mavericks bandmates Paul Deakin, Eddie Perez and Jerry Dale McFadden.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ubpass.co\/billboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><br \/>\n  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/2HpFicp.png\" alt=\"Billboard VIP Pass\" style=\"max-width: 100%;height: auto\"><br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/music\/music-news\/raul-malo-death-mavericks-lead-singer-dead-cancer-1236132199\/\">Aller \u00e0 la source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Raul Malo, whose operatic, lush lead vocals led the eclectic musical group The Mavericks, died Monday (Dec. 8) at age 60 following a battle with cancer. Related Gone But Not Forgotten: Musicians We Lost in\u00a02025 Gloria Gaynor Had a &lsquo;Wonderful&rsquo; Exchange With Donald Trump Before Kennedy Center Honors Odeal Signs Global Deal With Sony Music [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-212933","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-musique","et-doesnt-have-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/212933","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=212933"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/212933\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=212933"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=212933"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=212933"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}