Dave Mason

David Thomas Mason was born on 10 May 1946 in Worcester, England, the younger of two children of Edward Mason and Nora (née Wilson), who ran a sweet shop. He had an older sister. He grew up in the Midlands, not far from where Robert Plant, John Bonham and his future bandmate Jim Capaldi were raised.

He sang in a school choir as a boy. Rock and roll, particularly Buddy Holly, and the guitar playing of Hank Marvin of the Shadows made him fall for the electric guitar. Once his father bought him a guitar his tastes widened to blues players such as Buddy Guy and Elmore James. He picked up the instrument seriously at around 16.

Mason attended Christopher Whitehead Boys' School in the St John's area of Worcester. He had no formal musical training; he learned by playing along to records and in local bands, starting with his own teenage group, the Jaguars. In later life, for his work on the RKS guitar, he and Ravi Sawhney received honorary doctorates from the Academy of Art University.

With the Jaguars, Mason released the 1963 single "Opus to Spring", funded by his parents. In 1964 he joined the Hellions, with Jim Capaldi on drums. A Hamburg residency at the Star-Club in August 1964 led to friendship with Steve Winwood of the Spencer Davis Group. Back in Britain the Hellions became the house band at London's Whisky-A-Go-Go, backed Adam Faith and Dave Berry, recorded for Piccadilly Records with Kim Fowley and Jackie DeShannon, and toured with P. J. Proby. When the band faded, Mason worked as a roadie for the Spencer Davis Group and sang backing vocals on some of their records.

In 1967 Winwood, Capaldi, Mason and Chris Wood formed Traffic. Mason's "Hole in My Shoe", his first solo composition, reached No. 2 in the UK. He left before Mr. Fantasy was released in December 1967, saying it was "too much success too quick". He returned for the 1968 album Traffic, which included his "Feelin' Alright?", then was fired; Traffic soon split as Winwood joined Blind Faith. Mason rejoined for a final run of live shows in summer 1971, released as Welcome to the Canteen.

His session work became legendary. He played 12-string acoustic guitar on Jimi Hendrix's "All Along the Watchtower" (Electric Ladyland, 1968), shehnai and drum on the Rolling Stones' "Street Fighting Man" (Beggars Banquet, 1968), guitar on George Harrison's All Things Must Pass (1970), early Derek and the Dominos sessions including "Tell the Truth", lead guitar on Crosby and Nash's "Immigration Man", and electric guitar on Wings' "Listen to What the Man Said" (1975). He also produced Family's debut album Music in a Doll's House (1968).

Settled in Los Angeles from 1969, Mason toured with Delaney & Bonnie and Friends alongside Eric Clapton, then released Alone Together (1970) on Blue Thumb, a US No. 22 and gold album that opened with "Only You Know and I Know". In 1971 came Dave Mason & Cass Elliot. After a contract dispute with Blue Thumb he moved to Columbia, releasing It's Like You Never Left (1973), Dave Mason (1974), Split Coconut (1975), the live Certified Live (1976), Let It Flow (1977) and Mariposa de Oro (1978). Let It Flow went platinum, driven by "We Just Disagree" (US No. 12), and Mariposa de Oro went gold with a Top 40 cover of "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow". He appeared as himself in the 1979 film Skatetown, U.S.A., and Old Crest on a New Wave (1980) featured Michael Jackson on "Save Me".

The 1980s brought label battles and a lower profile. He toured as an acoustic duo with Jim Krueger and released Some Assembly Required and Two Hearts (both 1987); "Dreams I Dream" with Phoebe Snow reached No. 11 on the adult contemporary chart. In 1993 he joined Fleetwood Mac, touring with them in 1994 and 1995 and appearing on the album Time (1995). In 1998 he toured with Jim Capaldi, resulting in Live: The 40,000 Headmen Tour.

Later releases included the live DVD Live at Sunrise (2002), 26 Letters 12 Notes (2008), Future's Past (2014), the re-recorded Alone Together Again (2020) and A Shade of Blues, featuring Joe Bonamassa. In his final years he toured under the banner Dave Mason's Traffic Jam, keeping the Traffic catalogue alive on stage.

Mason lived in Southern California from 1969 and later had homes in Carson City, Nevada, and in Hawaii, before settling in Gardnerville in Nevada's Carson Valley. After decades in America he spoke with an American accent. He married four times. His fourth wife, Winifred, whom he married in 2018, survived him, as did his daughter Danielle from an earlier relationship. His son True died in 2006. He loved cooking, and his family's announcement of his death mentioned his Maltese dog, Star.

Mason was proud that his concerts were entirely live, with, in his team's words, "no backing loops, no overdubbed vocals". He was candid that he never felt comfortable as a frontman: "I'm not a rock star, let's put it that way. I never wanted to be. I just wanted to write great music." He felt out of step with the music business of the 1980s, saying "the latest flavor was something I didn't want to be any part of". He championed music education for children and support for military veterans and the families of fallen first responders.

Mason's songs outlived the bands that first recorded them. "Feelin' Alright?" has been covered by Joe Cocker, the Jackson 5 and many others; "Only You Know and I Know" was a hit for Delaney & Bonnie; and "We Just Disagree" remains a staple of classic hits and adult contemporary radio. As a session player he sits on some of the most famous recordings of the era, from "All Along the Watchtower" to "Street Fighting Man". His RKS guitar, built with sustainable materials, was praised by industrial designers and played by Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Ronnie Wood, Don Felder and Rick Springfield. Steve Winwood said his contribution to Traffic's early history "is not forgotten".

Mason was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 as a founding member of Traffic, and joined Winwood and Capaldi on stage at the ceremony. Alone Together, Dave Mason and Mariposa de Oro were certified gold and Let It Flow platinum in the US. The RKS guitar he co-designed earned two Silver IDEA awards from the Industrial Designers Society of America, and he received an honorary doctorate from the Academy of Art University.

Mason's memoir, Only You Know and I Know, written with Chris Epting, was published in 2024. He played himself in the 1979 roller disco film Skatetown, U.S.A., writing and performing its theme. He appeared with Cass Elliot on The Tonight Show and The Andy Williams Show, co-presented the 1980 American Music Awards with Bonnie Pointer, and was interviewed by Dick Clark on American Bandstand. Concert releases include Live at Perkins Palace and the DVD Live at Sunrise (2002), and he made an instructional DVD, The Legendary Guitar of Dave Mason (2008).

Mason's relationship with Steve Winwood was often strained, from his firing from Traffic in 1968 to a falling-out around the band's Hall of Fame induction; his 2024 memoir was frank about Traffic. He fought lengthy contract disputes with Blue Thumb, which issued albums without his approval, and with Columbia. In 2011 he was among a group of artists who successfully sued Universal Music Group over under-payment of digital royalties.

In September 2024 Mason cancelled his Traffic Jam 2024 tour after doctors detected a serious heart condition, saying it was "Doctor's orders". He later cancelled his 2025 dates over ongoing health challenges, and on 16 September 2025 he announced his retirement from touring, while planning a children's book and work on unreleased recordings. He died peacefully at home in Gardnerville, Nevada, on Sunday 19 April 2026, aged 79. His family said he had cooked dinner with his wife Winifred and sat down in his favourite chair for a nap with his Maltese, Star, at his feet: "A storybook ending. On his own terms." His publicist Melissa Dragich announced his death on 21 April. No cause of death was made public.