Singer Raul Malo appeared strong and optimistic, but admitted he was struggling after undergoing surgery to remove a tumor on his liver.
The Mavericks frontman has kept fans up to speed on treatment since revealing he had been diagnosed with cancer last June.
This latest video serves as a check-in and notice that the Mavericks will not make the Sandy Beaches Cruise this weekend.
- Raul Malo has been the Mavericks’ lead vocalist since the band was founded in 1989.
- Country radio hits include “O What a Thrill,” “All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down” and “There Goes My Heart.”
- Malo is 59 years old.
Related: 11 Heartbreaking Songs About Cancer
During a video posted on Wednesday (June 8), Malo confirms he underwent successful surgery to remove a tumor on his liver on Dec. 10. The timeline for recovery — four to six weeks — puts him too close to the date of this upcoming weekend’s shows to perform. He apologized for missing the event, one the band looked forward to.
“I’m feeling strong, even though I’m in a little bit of discomfort,” Malo says, providing a health check-in. “Like, it’s hard to hold a guitar up to my body. I don’t even know if I could sing.”
Malo shared the diagnosis in June, saying his type of cancer is common and very treatable. In the six months that followed he’s mixed notes about music between cancer updates and urgings to take care of your physical health.
“The love and compassion shown to me in the last month has not only been touching, it has been beautifully overwhelming,” he wrote in August after his second round of chemotherapy.
After this weekend, the Mavericks have a break before six shows in February, starting on Feb. 6.
Country Stars Who Are Living With Serious Health Conditions
Carly Pearce, Mark Chesnutt and Colt Ford have all made headlines recently for serious medical problems, but they are not the only country stars living with chronic illness.
Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker
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