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The country music world was shaken whenRaul Malo<\/strong><\/a>, lead singer of The Mavericks<\/a>, shared an update about his ongoing cancer battle. But even in the face of adversity, Malo and his band are leaning into hope \u2014 and their fans are showing up for them in a big way.<\/p>\n Following the announcement, the frontman took to Instagram with a powerful message. The post featured a photo of Malo, seen from behind, walking down a hallway in a Tennessee Titans jersey with his name on the back.<\/p>\n The caption featured a quote by boxing legend Muhammad Ali, \u201cDon\u2019t count the days, make the days count.\u201d<\/p>\n The sentiment resonated with fans, who flooded the comments with messages of love, strength and support. \u201cMy heart, my prayers go out to you Raul. Stay strong YOU are loved,\u201d one fan wrote.<\/p>\n Another shared a touching ritual they\u2019ve taken up on Malo\u2019s behalf. \u201cI lit a candle for you there, as I have been doing in every cathedral I\u2019ve visited. Be well. You are so loved.\u201d<\/p>\n More prayers and words of encouragement followed, like \u201csending prayers of love and strength. Thank you for giving us so many years of entertainment. Now is YOUR time,\u201d and \u201cYou’re strong #RaulMalo. We are always there for you. Thinking of you, and prayers.\u201d<\/p>\n Malo, 60, has been candid about his battle with stage 4 colon cancer, first revealing his diagnosis in 2024. But last week, he took to Facebook to share a more serious turn<\/a> in his condition.<\/p>\n \u201cDear Friends, I want to update you all on my health, as things have taken a turn,\u201d he wrote on Instagram<\/a>. \u201cAs it goes with cancer, it\u2019s a very unpredictable and indiscriminatory disease. I\u2019ve developed something called LMD, which stands for \u2018get this (expletive) out of my head.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Leptomeningeal Disease is a rare condition that occurs when cancer spreads to the leptomeninges, the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, and the cerebrospinal fluid. According to Cleveland Clinic<\/a>, LMD has no known cure.<\/p>\n Malo also shared what\u2019s next in his treatment journey. \u201cTreatment 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\u2019s time to take to heart your words of resting & recovering, so that\u2019s what I\u2019m going to do.\u201d<\/p>\n In the same post, Malo reported that all upcoming shows are now canceled as he focuses on his health. However, he hinted at future creative pursuits, reassuring fans that The Mavericks aren\u2019t going anywhere.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll continue doing cool projects, releasing live recordings, merchandise, Trovador and so forth,\u201d he wrote. \u201cHang on to your tickets for the Ryman in December, as we are planning something special there, and hope to announce that very soon.\u201d<\/p>\n Though the diagnosis is serious, Malo ended his message on a hopeful note. \u201cI want to let everybody know, I am in no way alone, or scared,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI have an amazing wife and boys, wonderful family, team, road crew, band, friends and fans. I don\u2019t even have enough words to describe the love and support that I\u2019m getting right now. To my friends who have sent me texts and messages, I want you to know that I\u2019ve read them all.I can\u2019t return them all, but your love, prayers, and well wishes have not gone unnoticed.\u201d<\/p>\n This story was originally reported by Parade<\/a> on Oct 3, 2025, where it first appeared in the Celebs<\/a> section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n