Dave Mason, co-founder of Traffic, has died at the age of 79.
His family confirmed the news in a statement to People on Wednesday, expressing their “deep and profound sadness.”
A spokesperson for his family said the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee—celebrated songwriter, musician, singer, and author—passed away peacefully at his home in Gardnerville, Nevada, on Sunday.
The legendary rocker Dave Mason was 79 at the time of his death.
“Dave Mason lived a remarkable life devoted to the music and the people he loved,” a representative said in a concluding statement.
He is survived by his wife, Winifred Wilson, and his daughter, Danielle, as well as several nieces and nephews. His cause of death has not yet been disclosed.
The guitarist Dave Mason, pictured above in April 2009, is survived by his wife, Winifred Wilson, and his daughter, Danielle.
Dave Mason, pictured above in 1971, was remembered by family members in a heartfelt statement describing his “remarkable life devoted to the music and the people he loved.”
In recent years, Mason had faced ongoing health issues. In 2024, he developed a “severe infection” that he said he was still “courageously battling” into the following year, which ultimately forced him to postpone touring.
“I’m incredibly grateful to my team of doctors,” he wrote in a statement last year. “This has been challenging territory, to say the least.”
Mason is best known for co-founding the band Traffic in 1967 alongside Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, and Chris Wood.
Dave Mason, pictured above in 2004, went on to pursue solo work and major collaborations over the years.
During his time with Traffic, Mason wrote two of the band’s biggest hits, “Feelin’ Alright?” and “Hole in My Shoe.” The original members were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.
Although Mason left the group after their debut album, he later returned in 1971 and again in 2004.
Away from the band, he built a solo career that included the 1977 hit “We Just Disagree,” and collaborated with major artists such as The Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix, among others.
Fame made Dave Mason, pictured above in June 1972, “uncomfortable,” he revealed in a 2020 interview.
He also briefly worked with Fleetwood Mac, contributing guitar to the group’s 1995 album Time.
Dave Mason, pictured above in 1968 on the right, once said: “I just wanted to write great music, make some money and have fun.”
Reflecting on his career in a 2020 Rock Cellar interview, Mason admitted he never enjoyed the spotlight, saying he didn’t “like standing up there in front of the spotlight” and often felt “very uncomfortable.”
“I’m not a rock star, let’s put it that way,” he said. “I never wanted to be. I just wanted to write great music, make some money and have fun. And when I was younger, meet girls.”
