Dave Mason, the English singer-guitar icon who co-founded Traffic and sessioned with some of the biggest artists of all time, has died at the age of 79.
The news was confirmed in a statement issued by Mason’s publicist on Wednesday (April 22) morning, which read, “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. Dave Mason lived a remarkable life devoted to the music and the people he loved.”
Last year, Mason was forced to cancel all of his scheduled tour dates amid ongoing health issues, after it was announced he’d been battling a serious heart condition. The condition was discovered in 2024, though Mason later contracted an infection during recovery in March 2025.
Not long after, Mason announced his retirement from touring, closing the curtains on 60 remarkable years of rock ‘n’ roll and marking the end of a significant and storied era in music history.
Mason leaves behind a tremendous legacy in the world of rock music, having penned some bona fide classics both as a founder of Traffic, and as a successful solo and session artist.
Born in May 1946, Mason co-founded Traffic as a youngster alongside Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, and Chris Wood, and in 1967, they released their debut single, Hole in My Shoe. Penned and sung by Mason, the single shot up to the Number 2 spot in the UK charts and was an early indicator of the guitarist’s psychedelic influences.
The single was followed by the band’s first two records, Mr Fantasy (1967) and Traffic (1968). Mason, despite leaving the band between the two albums, featured on both, writing and singing on other core Traffic standards such as Feelin’ Alright and You Can All Join.
Those records highlighted Mason’s robust guitar style, typified by its utilitarian emphasis on melody and ‘serving the song’. It served him well when he left Traffic and pursued a career in session and solo work.
Indeed, Mason’s post-Traffic days were defined by a series of high-profile collaborations with some of the biggest names in guitar music. He recorded and toured with the likes of George Harrison, the Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac and Michael Jackson.
He also famously played on Jimi Hendrix’s cover of All Along the Watchtower, playing the acoustic guitar, and served as Harrison’s guitar player during the Beatle’s All Things Must Pass project.
Speaking to Guitar World in 2014, Mason discussed how he ended up working with Hendrix, recalling, “I was aware of Jimi when he first came to London, even before he had ever made a record.
“I met Jimi at a late-night club one night and just started talking to him. He was a Traffic fan and I remember he got up and played with the band that was there that night and I just said, "Wow!" [laughs].
“One night, Jimi and I were at a party listening to John Wesley Harding [Bob Dylan’s latest album at the time] when Jimi got it into his head that he wanted to do All Along the Watchtower. I remember he said to me, ‘That’s the coolest song! I’m gonna go and record it! You want to come and do it with me?’ That's basically how it started. He was just amazing.”
As for his collaboration with Harrison, Mason told Guitar World in a separate interview that his work on All Things Must Past stemmed from a social bond he had with the Beatle.
“I was just one of a lot of people there; if you ask me which tunes I played on it, I can’t remember,” he noted. “I just played some acoustic rhythm guitar on a couple of them, and I think I played electric guitar on one, but I’m not sure. I was one of a number of musicians that were invited.
“I knew George more from the Beatles and from hanging out with him, as I sort of knew a little more of him socially than I did musically. He gave me my first sitar; he also played me Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band before it came out.”
Other major moments in Mason’s storied career also include a stint in Eric Clapton’s Derek and The Dominos, as well as a brief period as a member of Fleetwood Mac, with whom he recorded 1995’s Time.
Despite having contributed to the fabric of English rock music across his career, Mason remained humble, and in a reflective interview with Guitar World he looked back on the music he made.
“I knew they were great tracks that created attention, but it's hard to say what people would really think because at the time, I was living it,” he said of his work. “Looking back now, I was very fortunate to have ended up playing with so many great artists, even just for a moment.
“To me, I’m just another guy who picked up the guitar and went out to make music. Fortunately, I started writing things that resonated with people.”
Mason is survived by his wife and partner, Winifred Wilson, and his daughter, Danielle.
