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Raul Malo, lead singer of The Mavericks, dies at 60
Raul Malo, singer and frontman of The Mavericks, has passed away at the age of 60. He died on Monday, Dec. 8, after he had been fighting leptomeningeal disease (LMD), a type of cancer of the brain and spinal cord.
The band released a statement deeply saddened: “Anyone who had the delight of being in Raul’s orbit knew that he was a force of nature, with an energy that was contagious. In a career that lasted more than thirty years and during which he entertained millions around the world, his towering creative contributions and unmatched, talent of a whole generation, which led to the creation of the kind of multicultural American music that not only reached far beyond America but was influenced by cultures from all over the world, made Raul one of the most influential artists of all time.”
His death was first reported by Rolling Stone.
The Mavericks rally around Raul Malo’s legacy and contributions
The Mavericks applauded Raul Malo’s “energetic performances” that brought him a “huge & devoted fan base,” besides a bunch of Grammy, ACM, and CMA awards for his strong songwriting and musicianship.”
The band pointed out his commitment to saving the multilingual American musical heritage by mentioning his record-breaking 2020 album that was number one in both Latin Pop and Folk-Americana charts.
They also recognized Malo’s support for music education, making a difference in the lives of children not only in America but everywhere, thus winning him a number of awards.
“Even though his body was not with us, Raul’s spirit will be with God in heaven and also here on earth through the music, happiness, and light that he gave,” the statement ended. “His impact on American and Latin music will be like forever because his songs and voice reached fans and other artists all over the world.”
Malo family opens up about Raul Malo’s death
The Malo family spoke through a statement to PEOPLE, expressing their feelings and respect for the artist who had passed away:
“Our dear Raul was the one none of us could imagine life without, and he loved life, and he was love itself, and he was joy and passion, family, friends, music, and adventure. Now he shall see us from up there, in fact, he will be the light guiding us through the dark night reminding us to live life to the fullest,” they said.
They left off the message: “Dino, Victor, Max, and I — and our whole family — are very grateful to you all for your love and support during this time. We experienced it all. In Raul’s own words: “Muchísimas gracias.”
Raul Malo’s wife, Betty, updates fans on Instagram regarding his fight with LMD cancer
On Dec. 7, Raul Malo’s wife, Betty, through her Instagram posts, updated fans about his illness and requested them to send cards, letters, and donations to their GoFundMe.
Next day, she uploaded a picture of Raul with one of his music heroes, Tony Bennett, and wrote a caption, “As Raul keeps his time now with our closest family, please continue to support him and all the people with your prayers during his fight against #LMDCancer, a rare type of brain cancer.”
Malo was a singer, songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He grew up in Miami and co-founded The Mavericks in 1989. They released their first album independently in 1990. The band has put out 13 albums and has won a Grammy Award.
Malo was a co-writer of a majority of The Mavericks’ singles as well as the 2003 song by Rick Trevino “In My Dreams.”
Raul Malo’s solo career, reunion with The Mavericks, and legacy
After the split of The Mavericks in the early 2000s, Raul Malo started a solo career and also became a member of the supergroup Los Super Seven in 2001. The Mavericks got back together in 2012 and have been active on the road since then.
Malo made known his cancer condition in June 2024 and in September 2025, he decided to cancel the rest of his tour dates due to his illness.
Malo is the father of three sons: Dino, Victor, and Max. He was the husband of Betty for 34 years, son of Norma, and brother of Carol. Besides this, he was bandmates with the Mavericks Paul Deakin, Eddie Perez, and Jerry Dale McFadden and also friends with them. He leaves behind these people as his legacy.
