Country music star’s letter to fans revealed after death: ‘You all carried me more than you know’
A Raul Malo message was revealed to fans the same week The Mavericks frontman died.
Malo, 60, died earlier this week after a battle with stage 4 colon cancer and leptomeningeal disease.
Malo, per “Rolling Stone,” received the American Eagle Award for his “lifelong commitment to the preservation of the multilingual American music repertoire.”
A letter written by Malo was presented.
“Music has been the guiding force of my entire life,” the letter read. “It carried me from my Cuban American childhood in Miami to stages across the world. It introduced me to my brothers, The Mavericks. It gave me a home in Nashville, Tennessee. It allowed me to raise my three incredible sons, Dino, Vincent, and Max, who are my greatest pride and joy. And it connected me to you fans whose love has sustained me through every chapter of this journey. This award is not just about accomplishments; it is about commitment. The commitment to creativity, to education, to keeping music alive in the hearts of people everywhere.
“I’ve always believed that music is one of the most powerful bridges we have,” he continued. “It crosses cultures, politics, (And God, don’t we need that right now?) languages, and sometimes pain. In these past months, I’ve had to fight battles I’ve never imagined. But on the hardest of days, music remained my companion.
“Your letters, your stories of how a song helped you through loss, heartbreak, joy, those became our songs. You all carried me more than you know. To my family band, the National Music Council, my musica collaborators, and every fan around he world: Thank you for giving my voice a place to live, even when my body cannot be the one delivering it. I accept this award with profound gratitude and with the hope that the music we create continues to inspire, to heal and bring people together.”
Malo died on Monday night, his wife, Betty Malo, posted on his Facebook page. The frontman of The Mavericks had documented his health journey on social media since he disclosed in June 2024 that he was receiving treatment for colon cancer.
He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Betty; sons Dino, Victor, and Max, mother Norma, sister Carol, and Mavericks bandmates Paul Deakin, Eddie Perez, and Jerry Dale McFadden.
