With singer Raul Malo at the helm, The Mavericks have released 12 studio albums since 1989, including 1994’s double-platinum What a Crying Shame. In June 2024, Malo, 60, informed fans that he had been diagnosed with colon cancer. Since then, the Grammy winner has remained remarkably candid about the ups and downs of chemotherapy treatments, which often conflict with the band’s scheduled performances. Earlier this month, the Mavericks pulled out of three upcoming shows, citing Malo’s recovery as the reason. Unfortunately, Malo had more bad news for fans in a message shared to social media Wednesday (Sept. 24.)
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The Mavericks Have Canceled All Shows Going Forward
Sharing a video of himself strumming his guitar in his home, The Mavericks frontman Raul Malo revealed that his cancer journey has “taken a turn.” Unfortunately, the Miami-born artist has developed leptomeningeal disease, meaning the cancer has spread to his brain. Or, as Malo dryly put it, “get this s— out of my head.”
In light of Malo’s upcoming radiation treatments, which he starts tomorrow, the Mavericks have pulled out of all upcoming performances—except for a pair of shows in December at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.
“Hang on to your tickets for the Ryman in December, as we are planning something special there, and hope to announce that very soon,” Malo urged.
In the meantime, ” it’s time to take your words to heart of resting & recovering,” wrote the “Here Comes the Rain” singer. “So that’s what I’m going to do.”
“In No Way Alone”
Despite the grim news, The Mavericks singer Raul Malo emphasized that he is “in no way alone, or scared.”
Thanking fans for their support, he wrote, “We don’t know what this will look like a couple months from now, but we are going into it like we have with everything else. Full steam ahead. Fight, recover, rest, repeat. I want to thank you all for your incredible support through all this, & sorry about the cancellations but we have no choice anymore. Find kindness and empathy out there wherever you can. Humans are alright, even if you don’t believe it from what you see on TV.”
Featured image by Rick Kern/Getty Images
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