Super sad news to wake up to this morning: Raul Malo of the Mavericks has passed away at the far-too-young age of sixty. The news was not unexpected; he had been struggling with cancer for a few years. But what a loss! The guy had one of the most tremendous voices in the history of music, and the Mavs were one of the coolest, most gracious and generous touring acts of all time. He leaves behind an incredible legacy.
I met Raul a few times over the years and he was always the coolest guy. He would always say “Deke!” from a few feet away, and I was always shocked that a guy who must hobnob with tens of thousands of people every day would remember my name. On a regular basis, he would like my posts on Instagram, and the last time I saw him, in the lobby of the Hotel Clermont in Atlanta (where I had the misfortune of playing a show at the Star Bar the same night that the Mavericks were selling out some giant venue—ouch), Raul greeted me with a huge smile, a hearty handshake, and told me, “I dig what you do, man!” I just thought to myself, “But…you’re Raul Malo, man…!” He was just an incredibly positive energy force.
This is a tragic loss. RIP Raul. Condolences to his family and all the Mavericks band family.
