Dave Mason, who helped shape the psychedelic rock movement of the 1960s and wrote enduring classics like “Feelin’ Alright?” and “Hole in My Shoe” as a co-founder of Traffic, died Sunday, April 19, 2026, at his home in Gardnerville, Nevada. He was 79.
The Instagram announcement from Mason’s family revealed he passed away after “cooking an amazing dinner with his beloved wife Winifred.” According to the tribute, a serene final moment followed: “He sat down to take a nap with sweet Star (the Maltese) at his feet.”
Longtime publicist Melissa Dragich confirmed Mason’s death to the Associated Press. No official cause was given, though Mason had announced his retirement from touring in fall 2025, citing health issues stemming from an infection for “closing the curtain on 60 remarkable years of rock ‘n’ roll.” In September 2024, he had canceled remaining tour dates after doctors discovered a serious heart condition during a routine appointment.
Born May 10, 1946, in Worcester, England, Mason was already performing professionally as a teenager. His collaboration with drummer Jim Capaldi began in the mid-1960s when both were members of the Hellions. While working as road manager for the Spencer Davis Group, Mason met a young Steve Winwood, setting the stage for one of rock’s most influential partnerships.
In 1967, Mason joined Winwood, Capaldi and flautist and saxophonist Chris Wood to form Traffic. The quartet isolated themselves at a cottage on the Berkshire Downs to develop their material, pioneering the “getting it together in the country” ethos that influenced rock musicians for decades. Mason contributed to Traffic’s first two albums, including the 1967 psychedelic classic “Dear Mr. Fantasy,” and wrote “Hole in My Shoe,” which reached No. 2 on British singles charts, and “Feelin’ Alright?,” later covered by Joe Cocker, Three Dog Night, the Jackson 5, Grand Funk Railroad and many others, becoming a monumental hit.
Mason’s tenure with Traffic proved volatile. After being fired following the second album, he briefly rejoined in 1971 before leaving permanently that year. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.
After departing Traffic, Mason released his acclaimed solo debut “Alone Together” in 1970, featuring fan favorites “Only You Know and I Know,” “Sad and Deep as You” and “Look at You, Look at Me.” His subsequent solo career produced hits including “Shouldn’t Have Took More Than You Gave,” Jim Krueger’s “We Just Disagree,” “So High (Rock Me Baby and Roll Me Away)” and “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow.” Mason earned three gold certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America for “Alone Together,” 1974’s “Dave Mason” and 1978’s “Mariposa de Oro,” plus one platinum album, 1977’s “Let It Flow.”
Mason’s work as a session musician and collaborator earned him a place on landmark recordings across rock history. He played shehnai on the Rolling Stones’ “Beggars Banquet” track “Street Fighting Man” and performed 12-string acoustic on Jimi Hendrix’s iconic cover of Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower” from “Electric Ladyland.” He also contributed to George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass” and played on “Listen to What the Man Said” from Paul McCartney and Wings’ “Venus and Mars.”
During the 1990s, Mason toured with Fleetwood Mac from 1994 to 1995 after Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks departed, and appeared on the band’s 16th studio album, “Time.” In 2004, he co-founded RKS Guitars with industrial designer Ravi Sawhney, a sustainable electric guitar company.
Steve Winwood shared a heartfelt tribute to his former bandmate on social media. “Dave played an important role in shaping the band’s sound and identity,” Winwood wrote. “His songwriting, musicianship and distinctive spirit helped create music that has lasted far beyond its era, and continues to mean so much to listeners around the world.”
Singer-songwriter Stephen Bishop, who performed alongside Mason in the early 1970s, posted on Instagram about his friend. “I was always a fan of his early work with Traffic. I especially love his song Only You Know And I Know,” Bishop wrote, calling Mason “always kind” and “an incredible guitar player.”
Fleetwood Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood, who knew Mason since childhood in England, also paid tribute. Fleetwood disclosed that the pair had lifelong nicknames from the children’s book “The Wind in the Willows” — Mason was “Toad,” while Fleetwood was “Badger.” “Sweet David Mason left this world, but not without a reminder of heartfelt songs that question the meaning of life, with the understanding of such insight into life’s puzzle,” Fleetwood said.
The family’s Instagram announcement celebrated Mason’s cultural influence: “He leaves a lasting imprint on the soundtrack of our lives and the hearts he has lifted. His legacy will be cherished forever.”
Mason is survived by wife Winifred Wilson; daughter Danielle; nephew John Leonard; niece Michelle Leonard; and brothers-in-law Sloan Wilson and Walton Wilson. His son, True, and sister, Valerie Leonard, preceded him in death. Through his guitar work and songwriting from the psychedelic revolution through the arena rock era and beyond, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer helped define classic rock’s very fabric — a presence that endures through the music.
