Raul Malo

Raul Francisco Martínez-Malo Jr. (August 7, 1965 – December 8, 2025) was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and record producer. He was both the lead singer and songwriter of country music band the Mavericks, co-writing many of their singles, as well as Rick Trevino's 2003 single "In My Dreams". After the disbanding of the Mavericks in the early 2000s, Malo pursued a solo career. He also participated from 2001 in the Los Super Seven supergroup. The Mavericks re-formed in 2012 and continued to tour extensively. In 2015, they won the Americana music award for duo/group of the year.

Life and career Malo was born in Miami to Cuban immigrant parents Raul Martinez Malo Sr. and Norma Martinez. Malo was of maternal Spanish descent, as his grandfather had been a Spanish migrant to Cuba some time prior to the family’s move to Florida. He was personally fond of the music of performers such as Elvis Presley and Hank Williams.

Vocalist for The Mavericks Malo was the lead vocalist for The Mavericks founded in Miami in 1989. The Mavericks have charted 15 times on the American Billboard Hot Country Songs charts; their highest-peaking single there is "All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down", a collaboration with accordionist Flaco Jiménez which reached number 13 in 1996. Three of their singles made top 10 on the country music charts of the defunct RPM magazine in Canada, and "Dance the Night Away" was a hit single in the United Kingdom in 1998. Their most commercially successful album What a Crying Shame has been certified platinum in the United States and double-platinum in Canada.

Personal life For 34 years, Malo was married to Betty, and had three sons.

In September 2025, he canceled his remaining tour dates due to his cancer, which Malo said on his Instagram page had by this point reached its leptomeningeal disease (LMD) stage, thus spreading to his spinal cord and brain. During his bout with cancer, Malo also left his Nashville home and stayed in Houston, where he received treatment at MD Anderson.

On December 4, 2025, Malo was hospitalized, the day before the first of two nights of tribute shows, which he and his family were also initially scheduled to attend, were set to be held in his honor in Nashville. Despite his continued hospitalization, both tribute shows for Malo would be held as planned at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium on December 5 and 6, 2025. On December 6, his Mavericks bandmates were able to visit him in the hospital, giving him one final "concert," which his wife posted a clip of on her Instagram page. Malo died of colon cancer on December 8, at the age of 60. On January 23, 2026, he was awarded the American Eagle Award from the National Music Council.

Solo discography Albums Title Album details Peak chart positions US Country US Heat US Indie US Holiday UK UK Country NL Today Release date: October 23, 2001 Label: Higher Octave — — — — 80 1 75 You're Only Lonely Release date: July 25, 2006 Label: Sanctuary Records — 50 38 — — — — After Hours Release date: July 17, 2007 Label: New Door Records 43 12 — — — — — Marshmallow World &Other Holiday Favorites Release date: September 25, 2007 Label: New Door Records — 24 — 11 — — — Lucky One Release date: March 3, 2009 Label: Fantasy Records — 13 — — — 3 — Sinners and Saints Release date: October 5, 2010 Label: Fantasy Records — 7 — — — — — Around the World Live Release date: February 24, 2012 Label: Concord/Fantasy/Universal — — — — — 1 — Quarantunes Release date: April 21, 2021 Label: Mono Mundo Recordings — — — — — — — Say Less Release date: May 19, 2023 Label: Mono Mundo Recordings — — — — — 13 — "—" denotes releases that did not chart

Singles Year Single Peak positions Album UK NL 2002 "I Said I Love You" 57 82 Today "Today" 148 — 2006 "Feels Like Home" — — You're Only Lonely 2009 "Lucky One" — — Lucky One 2010 "Moonlight Kiss" 100 — "—" denotes releases that did not chart

Music videos Year Video Director 2009 "Hello Again" Matt Robertson