Raul Malo – Voice of a Generation, and Mavericks Frontman – Has Died

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Even before his recent, harrowing battle with Cancer, anyone who asked Saving Country Music who the best singer of this generation is would receive back the answer without a hint of hesitation, “Raul Malo.” That assessment comes virtually irrespective of genre. In fact, one of the most important legacies Raul Malo leaves behind was his ability to dabble in so many different musical styles, while mastering quite a few. He even pioneered a couple of his own during the span of his incredible career, and did it all in two separate languages.

There is such a soaring effortlessness, and a sweetness to Raul Malo’s tone that it certainly distinguishes him, irrespective of any personal taste in music. Sure, when querying the general population, “Raul Malo” might not be the first name that comes up among landmark singers. This is because for his 35-year career—as accomplished as it was—Raul Malo has always followed his heart, and his heart led him to music that needed love, championing, and attention. It needed a voice like Raul Malo’s to sustain. Perhaps he could have been an operatic great of our era. He could have sung straight up pop.

Instead, Raul Malo was unwilling and perhaps incapable of playing anyone else’s game, of following anyone else’s path but his own, or of being pigeon holed in any particular place. He was uninterested in doing what might earn him the most treasure or prestige. And he wasn’t one to put himself out there as the “best” of anything. That’s why he reformed The Mavericks after attempting to dabble in a solo career. He felt more comfortable in a band, sharing the spotlight with others.

Everyone loves to talk about the virtues of ’90s country these days and the era’s resurgence in influence. Let’s not forget that it was The Mavericks who were the CMA’s Vocal Group of the Year in 1995 and 1996. When you’re listening to a ’90s country playlist and a song like “All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down” or “What A Crying Shame” comes on, it smacks you square in the face with the feels, and reminds you just how spectacular Raul Malo and The Mavericks were back in the day.

But this is just where it all started. Where it would go with The Mavericks and Malo’s solo career would influence the worlds of Latin music, classic pop, big band, and everything in between.

One the most astounding things about the career of Raul Malo and The Mavericks has been the longevity of it. The band’s big comeback record in 2013, In Time, won the Saving Country Music Album of the Year. This was the same year Sturgill Simpson released High Top Mountain, and Jason Isbell released Southeastern. Some still question that pick. But the strength of that Mavericks album is steadfast.

Miami, Florida is an unlikely origination point for a country band, but The Mavericks were an unlikely story in country all the way around. After Malo met bassist Robert Reynolds and they bonded over their shared love of performers like Roy Orbison and Johnny Cash, they decided to start a country band in 1989, bringing in drummer Paul Deakin. Since any country bars in the region insisted live bands play covers, they had to play the rock clubs instead.

When the band made such a racket in south Florida that they were asked to play a showcase in Nashville in 1991, the story goes that the rep from MCA Nashville chose to sign them even before they finished their sound check. That’s how good The Mavericks were. That’s the kind of voice Ralo Malo possessed. They didn’t become a hit machine. They never even had a single crack the Top 10. But they were the envy of every other artist in Nashville, and set audiences ablaze.

Not dissimilar to other Latin pioneers in country like Freddy Fender and Johnny Rodriguez, Raul Malo and The Mavericks opened up country music to new audiences, and did so with music that was distinctly country in its day. But even beyond the work of their predecessors, Raul and The Mavericks also created a bridge from country fans to appreciate the music of Latin America and south Florida by fearlessly pursuing these influences, especially in Malo’s solo career, and the later iterations of The Mavericks.

We had a sense the end of Raul Malo’s singing was coming soon. Just this last weekend, a couple of tribute shows were held at the Country Music Mother Church—The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. But that doesn’t make the shock, the profound sense of loss, the vacancy left in our souls where Raul Malo’s voice once uplifted, cajoled, comforted, and inspired any less cavernous and difficult to navigate.

You may never see Raul Malo’s name alongside the Mount Rushmore of American crooners like Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, George Jones, and the like. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t belong there. He was Raul Malo, and he sang right from the soul with no latency. And that voice will forever echo throughout the chambers of our hearts for eternity, irrespective of his continued presence on Earth. But he is the very first we hope to hear sing again when we’re all reunited with the Almighty.

Raul Malo passed away on December 8th after a long battle with Cancer. He was 60 years old.

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