Country star’s wife announces his death in heartbreaking post: ‘Gained his angel wings’

Betty Malo, the wife of The Mavericks frontman Raul Malo, shared the news of his death Tuesday in a heartbreaking social media post.

Raul Malo, 60, had been battling stage 4 cancer and leptomeningeal disease.

“At 8:52 pm on December 8^th, 2025, my love … our boys’ father .. a devoted son and brother … and a friend to so many, gained his angel wings,” she wrote. “He was called to do another gig — this time in the sky — and he’s flying high like an eagle.

“No one embodied life and love, joy and passion, family and friends, music, and adventure the way our beloved Raul did,” she added. “Now he will look down un us with all that heaven will allow, lighting the way and reminding us to savor every moment. Dino, Victor, Max and I — along with our entire family — thank all of you for your love and support through all of this. We felt every bit of it. In Raul’s own words: ‘Muchisimas gracias.”

Fans and friends were quick to respond with love.

“His music will forever play in our house,” one person replied.

“One more angel … sending love and comfort,” another wrote.

“He was a gift on Earth and now will be an angel,” another wrote. “Sending my love and deepest sympathies to everyone. His voice and music will live on forever and soul forever.”

There were plenty more comments like that and you can see them all as well as Betty Malo’s reply here.

The Mavericks also shared an Instagram post about the singer’s death.

“It’s with the deepest grief we share the passing of our friend, bandmate and brother Raul Malo on December 8^th, 2025 at the age of 60,” the statement read. “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.”

“Though his earthly body may have passed, Raul’s spirit will live on forever in heaven, and here on earth through the music, joy, and light he brought forth,” the statement added. “His contributions to American and Latin music will be everlasting, as his songs and voice touched fans and fellow artists around the world.”

Malo’s death came just days after he was honored with a two-night show – Dec. 5-6 — at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. He was slated to attend, but Betty Malo shared the news with fans that he had to be rushed to the hospital on Thursday on the eve of the show.

The singer announced last year that he had stage 4 colon cancer, and he shared his battle against the disease openly with fans. And, at times this year, it was a disease he appeared poised to put behind him, but in September he made the heartbreaking announcement that he had been diagnosed with leptomeningeal disease.

“Dear Friends, I want to update you all on my health, as things have taken a turn,” he wrote on Facebook. “As it goes with cancer, it’s a very unpredictable and indiscriminatory disease. I’ve developed something called LMD, which stands for ‘get this (expletive) out of my head.’ Treatment for this is radiation, which I will start tomorrow. We will probably jump into some chemo and are even looking at alternative therapies. But it’s time to take to heart your words of resting & recovering, so that’s what I’m going to do.”

According to the Cleveland Clinic, leptomeningeal disease is cancer in the cerebrospinal fluid and leptomeninges, which are membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord. There is no cure for the disease. Instead, doctors focus on trying to slow the disease from spreading while maintaining the patient’s quality of life.

Despite the ominous diagnosis, Malo continued to fight, and in November he headed to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Texas for treatment. But last Thursday his wife, Betty Malo, announced that he had to be rushed to the hospital. He sadly was never able to recover.

The singer is survived by Betty, sons Dino, Victor and Max, his mother, Norma and sister Carol.