Tex-Mex singer/songwriter Raul Malo, 60, died of cancer on Dec. 8. Malo was lead singer, guitarist and songwriter for The Mavericks, a Miami-based band he formed in 1989 (the Mavericks broke up in 2004, but have reunited for frequent gigs). When not with the Mavericks, Malo performed solo, as well as with the shifting collective Los Super Seven. He cut nine albums from 2000-23, and such singles as "I Said I Love You,” “Today,” "Feels Like Home,” "Lucky One,” and “Moonlight Kiss.” Malo told The Catalyst, “I grew up in a household that listened to all kinds of music. My dad was a big country music fan; my mom was an opera fan, and she loved rock ‘n’ roll, and she loved swing music. And my dad loved Cuban music. So there was always stuff playing in the house. When I first heard Elvis’ ‘It’s Now or Never,’ that was the catalyst. That was like the seas were parting, you know? And when my mom pointed out, ‘By the way, that’s an Italian aria,’ that really sealed the deal.”
Raul Malo, “Here Comes the Rain” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXmhRJ9kHxU&list=RDCXmhRJ9kHxU&start_radio=1
