![]() |
| Raul Malo performing at The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on March 24, 2013. Photo credit: Kelly A. Swift |
Like so many music lovers, I was deeply saddened to hear the news yesterday morning that Mavericks lead singer-guitarist Raul Malo passed away at the age of 60 on Monday, December 8. I first caught Malo at a sold-out concert in Santa Ana on Feb. 27, 1995 with The Mavericks, a performance at the Galaxy Concert Theatre that came on the heels of the release of the band's outstanding 1994 album What a Crying Shame. I was an instant fan of the group and over the years I was fortunate to catch Malo with that American troupe (including their celebrated reunion show at the Stagecoach Festival in 2012) as well as when he performed solo. I credit The Mavericks as one of the seminal artists to introduce me to roots and Americana music 30+ years ago.
One of my most memorable appearances by Malo was when The Mavericks tore the roof off at The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on March 24, 2013. Check out my review of that show HERE.
In a statement on the band's social media, The Mavericks wrote: "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."
![]() |
| Raul Malo performing at The Coach House in 2019. Photo credit: Bob Steshetz |
You can read NPR's coverage of the passing of Malo HERE.
Below is what noted music writer/author Cary Baker ("Down on the Corner: Adventures in Busking and Street Music") wrote and posted on Facebook following the passing of Malo yesterday:
![]() |
| Raul Malo, left, with Cary Baker at the Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, CA on July 12, 2025. Photo courtesy of Cary Baker |
Robert Kinsler


























