Raul Malo's widow sues former bandmates over The Mavericks name
Betty Malo, widow of Mavericks frontman Raul Malo, has sued three remaining members of the band to stop them performing under The Mavericks name. The lawsuit was filed on November 11 against Paul Deakin, Jerry Dale McFadden and Eddie Perez, according to Billboard.
Raul Malo died of cancer at the end of 2025. He had said in 2024 that he was diagnosed with colon cancer, which later spread to his brain. Since his death, the remaining members have continued to play as "The Mavericks & Friends," with guest singers.
The central document in the case is an operating agreement, the internal rulebook for the band's company, the Mavericks LLC. The lawsuit says that agreement allowed the group to be called The Mavericks only as long as Raul Malo was involved. The defendants say they amended the agreement after his death to remove that restriction. Betty Malo says the amendment is invalid.
Betty Malo is the personal representative of her husband's estate, the person who manages it on his behalf. She also holds 35% of the financial rights in the Mavericks LLC, which means a share of the company's money. Her filing asks a court to declare that the remaining members have no right to use the name.
She is also asking for royalty statements, the reports that show what money has been earned and paid. The filing further seeks the return of unreleased materials and photographs that use Raul Malo's name, image, likeness or voice.
A separate case is already under way. Betty Malo is challenging a fresh registration of "The Mavericks" as a trademark, the legal right to a brand name. The registration covers recordings, live performances and merchandise. The band has held various versions of that trademark since 1992.
The group formed in 1989 and signed with MCA two years later. They won a Grammy in 1996 for "Here Comes the Rain," which reached No. 22 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. After a hiatus in the 2000s, they reunited in 2012, and their album In Time reached No. 39 on the Billboard 200, the main weekly album chart in the United States.
The band's official website carries the message "Rest In Peace, Raul Malo. The Music Lives On," and invites visitors to sign up for tour updates and news. The lawsuit's claims are allegations in a filing, and no court has decided them.
