Photo credit: Chris Jensen

Dave Mason, the singer, songwriter, and guitarist who came of age as a founding member of pioneering British rock group Traffic, has passed away. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, who wrote, sang, and contributed “Feelin’ Alright?,” “Hole in My Shoe,” and his own “Only You Know and I Know” and “We Just Disagree” to the group died on Sunday. Mason was 79 years old. 

“On behalf of his family, it is with deep and profound sadness that we share the news of the passing of Dave Mason. On Sunday, April 19, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, celebrated songwriter, musician, singer, and author, passed away peacefully at his home in Gardnerville, NV,” an official statement shared by the artist’s team read. 

“He is survived by his beloved wife and partner, Winifred Wilson, his daughter Danielle, nephew John (Trish) Leonard and niece Michelle Leonard, as well as his brothers-in-law Sloan (Claudia) Wilson and Walton (Barbara Sims) Wilson. He was preceded in death by his son, True and his sister, Valerie Leonard. Dave Mason lived a remarkable life devoted to the music and the people he loved.”

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Mason’s contributions are perhaps best associated with the 1968 check-in anthem, “Feelin’ Alight?” While the track initially arrived on Traffic’s self-titled second album, it went on to become a cornerstone of Joe Cocker’s popularity and a feature of the Woodstock voice’s own debut record, With a Little Help From My Friends. 

The artist, also known for his 1977 solo hit “We Just Disagree,” also collaborated with a notable assemblage of big-name artists including George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and Wings, Eric Clapton, David Crosby, Cass Elliot and Fleetwood Mac, among them. 

Long before he had a guitar or pen to shape his artistic expression, Mason was born May 10, 1946, in Worcester, England. The musician’s early days instilled in him a dream of joining the Royal Air Force. Still, the first lick of music inspired a change in direction and, in turn, a spot in instrumental group The Jaguars before joining Jim Capaldi in The Hellions, which led to a lifelong friendship with the drummer. 

Mason and Capaldi penned “Shades of Blue,” which was recorded as a B-side along with a cover of Jackie DeShannon’s “Daydreaming About You,” for their Prye Records debut, produced by Kim Fowley. The pair of musicians went on to form The Deep Feeling band before Steve Winwood and Chris Wood entered their orbits and embarked on their Traffic pursuits. 

As legend has it, Traffic coalesced during a stone cottage retreat in the countryside, where the group assembled to write and rehearse material that would become their 1967 debut, Dear Mr. Fantasy, led by the first single, the Winwood and Capaldi co-written “Paper Moon.” Mason’s “Hole in My Shoe” endured and climbed the U.K. charts, ultimately reaching the second position. 

Due to creative differences, Mason left the band after the release of their first record, and instead cut a solo single, “Little Woman” for Island Records; its B-side, “Just For You” would later appear on Traffic’s third studio LP. Eventually, Mason took part in the making of the band’s second LP, rejoining halfway through the recording session, which would yield their self-titled set. 

Mason then broke away from the band again to focus more on his solo endeavors in the US. Although when Traffic supported their sound via a tour of America, Mason took part in a handful of songs ahead of the group’s official 1968 breakup. 

Mason then focused on his studio efforts as a session player, contributing 12-string acoustic guitar to Hendrix’s Electric Ladyland cut “All Along the Watchtower” and backing vocals on “Crosstown Traffic.” He also added shehnai and bass drum to The Rolling Stones’ Beggars Banquet selection “Street Fighting Man.”

The guitarist continued working with others, touring with Delaney and Bonnie and Friends’ Clapton and Harrison, and appearing on the latter’s 1970 solo spectacular, All Things Must Pass. He also joined Derek and the Dominos in the studio, before reconvening with Capaldi to co-write “Big Thirst” and add harmonica and guitar over “Don’t Be a Hero.” 

By 1970, Mason’s solo pursuits had informed the release of his debut solo record, Alone Together, which featured “Only You Know and I Know” in addition to the lesser-known “Look at You, Look at Me.” The following year, Mason worked with Cass Elliot [cutting their self-titled LP] before igniting a live-and-studio era with guitarist Jim Krueger, keyboardist Mike Finnigan, bassist Gerald Johnson, and drummer Rick Jaeger.

In time, he also returned to England, assisting Traffic’s new configuration with their live LP Welcome to the Canteen, which also featured a rendition of “Feelin’ Alright?” The 1970s proved especially prolific, with the release of albums such as Headkeeper (1972), It’s Like You Never Left (1973), Dave Mason (1974), Split Coconut (1975), Let It Flow (1977), and Mariposa de Oro (1978). 

The ensuing decades saw him ease back on his studio efforts. He released of Old Crest on a New Wave in 1980, followed by two records in 1987: Some Assembly Required and Two Hearts. In the mid-90s, Mason joined Fleetwood Mac, assisting on their LP Time and touring, opening for acts like REO Speedwagon and CSN. 

Before the dawn of the aughts, Mason reunited with fellow Traffic co-founder Capaldi to take part in the 40,000 Headmen Tour, which also became a live album. In 2002, Dave Mason Live at Sunrise was released on DVD and featured his concert at the Sunrise Musical Theater in Sunrise, Fla. 

In 2008, Mason turned over his first album in more than two decades, 26 Letters 12 Notes, and followed with another LP, Future’s Past, in 2014. Eventually, Mason canceled a batch of live appearances in 2024 due to “ongoing health challenges,” and in September 2025 announced his retirement. 

Mason’s contributions go beyond music and include philanthropic endeavors such as involvement in and support for Little Kids Rock, “a non-profit organization that provides free musical instruments and lessons to children in American public schools,” as well as Rock Our Vets, which assists those in the line of duty. 

In memory of Mason, watch “Feelin’ Alright?” 

Read Mason’s final Relix interview.