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Raul Malo, the frontman of iconic country-rock band The Mavericks, has died aged 60. Malo's wife, Betty, and his fellow band-members have paid tribute to the trailblazing artist.
Betty confirmed Malo passed away on Monday via a heartfelt social media post, sharing, “At 8:52 pm on December 8th, 2025, my love… our boys’ father… a devoted son and brother… and a friend to so many, gained his angel wings. He was called to do another gig — this time in the sky — and he’s 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”.
She concluded, “Dino, Victor, Max and I - along with our entire family - thank all of you for your love and support through all of this. We felt every bit of it”, adding a note to fans attributed to Malo himself, “In Raul’s own words: “Muchísimas gracias””.
An official representative for The Mavericks has echoed Betty's sentiments, outlining via a statement, “It’s with the deepest grief we share the passing of our friend, bandmate and brother Raul Malo. 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”.
Malo was diagnosed with colon cancer last summer, with the ‘Dance the Night Away’ hitmaker then revealing to fans in September 2025 that he was fighting LMD (leptomeningeal), a rare form of cancer affecting the brain and spinal chord. Betty had been posting via Instagram during the past week, thanking fans for their support and well wishes, and sharing clips of friends visiting Malo in hospital.
Malo - born Raul Francisco Martínez-Malo Jr to Cuban parents - founded The Mavericks with drummer Paul Deaken and bass guitarist Robert Reynolds in 1989. They went on to release countless hits, including their now-iconic 1998 anthem, ‘Dance the Night Away’, which was officially certified Platinum in the UK in 2020.
The band earned two CMA Awards, three ACM Awards and a coveted Grammy in 1996 for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for ‘Here Comes The Rain’.
Malo released a number of solo albums over the years while taking time away from The Mavericks, but after they reunited in the early 2010's, he played a key part in the creation of the group's first Spanish-language album, En Español, which arrived in 2020. They were in the middle of a co-headline tour with Dwight Yoakam when Malo received his LMD diagnosis, which forced them to withdraw from shows.
Malo is survived by his wife of 34 years, Betty, sons Dino, Victor, and Max, mother Norma, sister Carol, and bandmates Paul Deakin, Eddie Perez, and Jerry Dale McFadden.
