The Mavericks say a band member was assaulted in Tennessee, reportedly for speaking Spanish
A member of Latin country-rock band The Mavericks says he was assaulted over the weekend for speaking Spanish.
Trumpet player Lorenzo Molina Ruiz posted online that he and his friend Orlando Morales were at a sports bar when they were attacked. Police said the assault occurred at Tony's Eat & Drink in Franklin, Tennessee, overnight Saturday.
Ruiz posted on a GoFundMe started for Morales, a fellow musician, that the assault was sparked because the pair were speaking Spanish. So far, the fundraiser has reached $12,100.
"We didn’t do anything to anybody and got beaten up badly," Ruiz wrote on the GoFundMe profile. "My friend is in bad shape. Any support would help while we proceed with getting justice for this hate crime."
The Franklin Police Department did not respond to questions about whether the assault was being investigated as a hate crime. On Tuesday afternoon, authorities released suspect photos, asking the public to help identify two men.
"The case is currently classified as an aggravated assault, which is a felony," public information officer Lt. Charles Warner said. "It has been assigned to a detective, and an investigation is underway."
The Mavericks, an award-winning Nashville-based outfit known for fusing neotraditional country with influences from modern Americana and Latin music, released a new studio album, “En Español,” in August.
The record marked the first entirely Spanish-spoken release from the group. It debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Pop Album Chart — the first album in Billboard history to debut in the top 10 on Latin and Americana charts.
Tuesday night, the band led a tribute to Linda Ronstadt at the annual Hispanic Heritage Awards. The pre-taped appearance aired on PBS.
"For this assault to occur as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with our own performance (featuring Lorenzo) tonight on the Hispanic Heritage Awards, shows that although we’ve come a long way, we still have a long way to go," Raul Malo, the group's vocalist and guitarist, said in a statement on behalf of The Mavericks. "America is better than this."
Tony's Eat & Drink restaurant posted on social media that it is working with the police investigation.
"We would like to send our deepest condolences to the individuals affected by the altercation that occurred," management wrote in a statement. "We want to be clear that we do not support racism or condone hate crimes at our establishment and are taking this matter seriously. We do not nor have we ever allowed for violence to perpetuate for any reason and in this specific instance, our security staff acted quickly and reasonably to bring the altercation to an end."
The Mavericks were founded in Miami more than three decades ago, and their 1995 song “Here Comes The Rain” won a Grammy Award for best country performance by a duo or group. The group won back-to-back vocal group of the year trophies at the CMA Awards in 1995 and 1996.
Ruiz, who is from Cuba, joined The Mavericks in August 2017. He is one of the "Fantastic Five," sidemen to the core Mavericks lineup.
Contributing: Natalie Alund