Raul Malo of The Mavericks Dead at 60 as Tributes Pour In

Michelle Stein
Raul Malo of The Mavericks
Josh Brasted/Getty Images
Josh Brasted/Getty Images

What To Know

  • Raul Malo, the acclaimed frontman of The Mavericks, died at age 60 on December 8, 2025.
  • Malo was celebrated for his powerful voice and multicultural musical influence, earning a Grammy, multiple CMA and ACM awards.
  • Tributes from family, fellow musicians, and fans poured in on social media.

Raul Malo, the frontman of the Latin-country band The Mavericks, is dead at 60.

On Tuesday, December 9, Malo’s wife, Betty, took to Facebook to announce his death.

“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,” she wrote. “He was called to do another gig — this time in the sky — and he’s flying high like an eagle.”
Betty continued, “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.”
To conclude the update, Malo’s widow shared, “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.
In Raul’s own words: ‘Muchísimas gracias.'”
In June 2024, Malo was diagnosed with colon cancer. He announced he was battling leptomeningeal disease (MMD) that September.

Meanwhile, The Mavericks also posted a tribute in the wake of Malo’s death via Instagram.

“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. “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.”
As the tribute noted, Malo earned one Grammy, three ACM awards, and two CMA awards with The Mavericks during his career. In 2020, the group made history by having the first album to debut at the top of both the Latin Pop and Folk-Americana charts. Additionally, Malo received the Americana Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award and the National Music Council of the United States’ American Eagle Award.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by The Mavericks (@the_mavericks)

On social media, fellow musicians and fans alike joined in honoring Malo’s legacy.

Trisha Yearwood took to Instagram with a post, writing, “I don’t have words to express my sadness at the passing of Raul Malo, one of the finest voices of our generation, with a larger than life personality to go with it. I’ve been sitting with my memories this morning, and just want to send my love and strength to Betty and the Malo family, to The Mavericks, and to everyone who loved Raul and his music. Gone too soon. 💔.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Trisha Yearwood (@trishayearwood)

Chris Isaak, who collaborated with The Mavericks several times, also posted an Instagram tribute.

“I can tell you he was unparalleled in his singing,” he wrote in part. “I could listen to him all day. He had a gift. I used to tell him if they ever made a film about me I wanted him to do the singing…that way I’d sound better than ever.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Chris Isaak (@chrisisaak)

Additionally, country singer Shooter Jennings took to X to share, “I loved the Mavericks. We got to hang many times and I used to tell [Malo] how much I went crazy for his version of [Pink Floyd‘s] ‘Us and Them.’ A performer and craftsman of the highest order.”