Dave Mason Passes Away at 79:
Dave Mason, the band’s founding member and solo performer Traffic, the songwriter of the classic rock songs “Feelin’ Alright” and “Hole in My Shoe” and a sideman to the Rolling Stones, George Harrison, and Jimi Hendrix, has died, according to a statement from his publicist. He was 79 years old when his health prompted him to postpone a tour last year, but no cause of death was disclosed.
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Solo Success:
In 2004, Dave Mason and the other original members of Traffic were admitted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He enjoyed solo singles in the 1970s with “Only You Know and I Know” and “We Just Disagree.” Over the years, he also recorded and performed with Michael Jackson, David Crosby, Graham Nash, Cass Elliot, Leon Russell, and others.
Rise to Fame with Traffic:
Dave Mason, a powerful lyricist, vocalist, and aggressive guitarist, first gained notoriety as a member of Steve Winwood’s psychedelic band Traffic. Although he wrote some of the band’s biggest hits, such as “Hole in My Shoe,” which peaked at No. 2 on the British singles charts and was later covered in a novelty version by the comedy group the Young Ones, and “Feelin’ Alright,” which Joe Cocker later definitively covered, he had an intermittent relationship with the band despite making significant contributions to their first two albums, the self-titled sophomore album and the psychedelic classic “Mr. Fantasy” from 1967.
Early Life and Musical Beginnings:
Dave Mason, who was born in Worcester, England, in 1946, became a professional musician by the time he was in his teens. He published his debut single, “Opus to Spring,” in 1963 while playing with the instrumental group the Jaguars. He initially got to know Jim Capaldi, the drummer for Traffic, in that band. The two eventually joined the Hellions, which put out a number of singles. He started working as tour manager for the Spencer Davis Group in early 1966. The group included Winwood, a teenager with exceptional skill, and had singles including “Gimme Some Lovin'” and “I’m a Man.”
Formation and Influence of Traffic:
Winwood, Dave Mason, Capaldi, and flautist Chris Wood founded Traffic in March 1967 after leaving the Spencer Davis Group. Although Mason’s relationship with the group was shaky—he left and returned at least twice—Traffic was a significant influence on many artists during the psychedelic era. Mason contributed sitar (on the band’s iconic debut single, “Paper Sun”) and other unconventional instruments in addition to his sparkling guitar playing and several of the group’s most well-known songs.
Recording Style and Musical Innovation:
Traffic, the flagship band of Island Records in the late 1960s, were the first band to “get it together in the country,” recording their debut album in a home in the Berkshire hills in 1967. Although Traffic’s rendition of “Feelin’ Alright” wasn’t a hit, it was the upbeat intro to Joe Cocker’s historic 1969 debut, “With a Little Help From My Friends.”
Session Work with Music Legends:
After leaving Traffic in 1968, Dave Mason worked as a kind of hired gun to the stars, contributing to Hendrix’s “Electric Ladyland” (which features him singing background on “Crosstown Traffic” and playing 12-string acoustic on “All Along the Watchtower”) and the Rolling Stones’ “Beggars Banquet” album as the band dealt with the breakup of founding guitarist Brian Jones.
Collaborations and Touring Years:
In late 1969, he became a member of the large traveling band of the American duo Delaney & Bonnie’s. Eric Clapton and George Harrison also performed with the band on several gigs in the United Kingdom and Europe. Because of this connection, he contributed to multiple songs on Harrison’s iconic “All Things Must Pass” album. In the middle of 1970, he also briefly joined Eric Clapton’s band Derek & the Dominos, but by the time the group made its historic debut, “Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs,” he had left.
Solo Career and Chart Success:
Instead, Dave Mason pursued his own passion and put out several solo albums throughout the 1970s and 1980s, including one including former Mamas & the Papas singer Cass Elliot. Although it was really his fifth studio album, his 1974 self-titled album went gold in the United States; he had his biggest solo hit, a cover of Jim Krueger’s song “We Just Disagree,” and the album “Let It Flow” in 1977, but there was no further chart success.
Time with Fleetwood Mac:
The most peculiar development in his career occurred in the 1990s when he briefly joined Fleetwood Mac. He appeared on the 1995 album “Time” and went on tour with Bekka Bramlett, the daughter of his former collaborators Delaney & Bonnie, during a time when Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham had left the group. Many Fleetwood Mac fans disapproved of the updated lineup, and two years later, Buckingham and Nicks got back together to form the “classic” lineup.
Health Issues and Personal Life:
Dave Mason’s health problems were made public in 2024 when he canceled his tour for the following year due to unexplained difficulties. Winifred Wilson, Mason’s wife, and Danielle, his daughter, survive him. True, his son, and Valerie Leonard, his sister, passed away before him.