It’s fitting that it takes two singers to fill the role once occupied by Raul Malo, the late singer, songwriter and guitarist for a veteran Miami country band, the Mavericks. Malo died in Nashville, Tenn., on Dec. 8, 2025, after an extended battle with cancer, leaving behind an unshakable artistic legacy and a stunned group of band members.
On Aug. 1, those band members will regroup at Charleston Music Hall with vocalists James Otto and Emily West as part of a 31-show American memorial tour called “The Mavericks and Friends.” It’s both a tribute to and celebration of Malo and his music.
After co-founding the Mavericks in 1989 with drummer Paul Deakin and bassist Robert Reynolds, Malo wrote the majority of the hits that helped the band earn three gold and two platinum albums in the early 1990s. If you heard “All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down,” “What a Crying Shame” or “Here Comes the Rain,” those were Malo’s songs.
But he was also a once-in-a-generation vocalist. He possessed an unmistakable, genre-defying voice. His soaring, velvet-smooth tenor featured a signature operatic resonance that drew frequent comparisons to Roy Orbison. Malo effortlessly blended country, rockabilly and Latin influences. He could transition from delicate, heart-wrenching lullabies to bold, brassy belting without losing his signature warmth.
His distinctive sound was the defining element of the Mavericks’ hits.
Deakin, who’s been behind the drum kit for the band’s 37-year career, still seems stunned by Malo’s passing.
“He really fought hard,” Deakin said in a recent interview with the Charleston City Paper. “It was brutal. I’ve never seen anything like it. It was very hard for us on a personal level because he’d always been so invincible. He was handling both colon cancer and chemo while we were touring. He was just a tank.”
As Malo’s condition worsened throughout 2025, his bandmates planned a tribute show at Nashville’s legendary Ryman Theatre in December. Even as the show approached, Malo was confident he could be there, at least in a reduced role.
“We knew that he wasn’t going to be able to sing,” Deakin said. “But up until a week before the show, he was saying, ‘I want to be there. I think I can play guitar.’ ”
Ultimately, Malo couldn’t be there and watched the concert from home. He passed away two days later.
The current “Mavericks and Friends” tour exists because of that Ryman experience. Deakin, who didn’t see much of a future beyond Malo’s death, was reinvigorated by the response to the two tribute shows.
“That was kind of an epiphany for me,” he said. “The love there was in that room was so palpable. It was joyous and emotional. People were crying and dancing. I was kind of dumbfounded. I realized that we can never replace Raul, but there can be different interpretations of things.”
A host of guest vocalists performed at the show, including Marty Stuart, Jamey Johnson, Steve Earle and Jim Lauderdale, but the band — which also includes guitarist Eddie Perez and keyboardist Jerry Dale McFadden — zeroed in on James Otto and Emily West.
“They both have such a strong reverence for Raul. They have exactly the right attitude, and they’re both incredibly talented. They both have solo careers, so I’m honored for them to come and lend their talents to the Mavericks.”
In addition to the hits and signature songs from the band’s career, the group is digging up some deep cuts. Alongside familiar songs like “Dance the Night Away,” “Back in Your Arms Again,” “There Goes My Heart” and “O What a Thrill,” the band has revived lesser-known songs like the operatic “Tell Me Why” from the 1998 album Trampoline.
“Emily is a showstopper,” Deakin said. “I watched her solo performances, and her voice and emotion fit perfectly with us. And James has the same powerhouse vocals that Raul did. He’s a different singer, but he f*cking nailed it.”
But for longtime Mavericks fans, the best news about this show might be that original bassist Robert Reynolds is back. Reynolds was fired from the band in 2014, but he’s now nine years sober and back onstage.
“I hadn’t seen Robert for more than a decade,” Deakin said. “By that time he was living a small-town life, teaching music to mentally and emotionally challenged kids. We reconnected, and I was happy to be able to do that. We just fell right in musically, and we had a great time.”
Luckily, Reynolds and Malo also reconciled before Malo died.
“Robert got Raul this throw blanket as a gift, and he never took that off until he died,” Deakin said. “He kept it on for three months.”
IF YOU WANT TO GO: Doors open at 7 p.m. Aug. 1, Charleston Music Hall, 37 John St., Charleston. Tickets range from $62-$221: charlestonmusichall.com
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