Dave Mason, Traffic co-founder, dies at 79

Dave Mason, a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and founding member of the 1960s progressive rock band Traffic, has passed away.

A representative for Mason confirmed that he died on Sunday, April 19, at his residence in Gardnerville. He was 79 years old, News.Az reports, citing USA Today.

“Dave Mason lived an extraordinary life dedicated to music and to the people he cared about,” a statement released following his death said.

In 2024, Mason delayed a planned tour after a serious heart condition was identified during a routine medical examination. By 2025, he had canceled all scheduled tour dates as his health issues continued.

“Recovery is a long road. My love for you all runs deep,” Mason shared on Instagram at the time.

In addition to his guitar work with Traffic, Mason is regarded for playing with Jimi Hendrix, Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones as well as writing the soulful “Feelin’ Alright?,” which Joe Cocker popularized with a finger-snapping version in 1969. Mason’s solo work includes the 1977 hit ballad “We Just Disagree.”

Mason was born May 10, 1946 in Worcester, England, but moved to California in 1969.

With Traffic, Mason broke through in 1967 with a trio of hits in the U.K. – “Paper Sun,” “Hole in My Shoe” and “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush.”

A lesser chart success a year later was the Mason-penned, “Feelin’ Alright?” He never realized how integral a question mark would be to his songwriting history.

Mason lamented that most people overlooked the nuance of the question mark at the end of the song title because his intention was to legitimately inquire about the emotional state of the listener – are you feeling all right?

Among the song’s numerous covers, Cocker's version emerged a year after Mason was unceremoniously fired from Traffic for reasons he said in his book he was still unclear about. Cocker injected the song with a feel-good vibe, turned its title into a statement rather than a query and produced an eternal bar jam.

“I wrote that song 58 years ago and it’s as current as it was when I wrote it,” Mason told USA TODAY. “I have to thank Joe Cocker for that. The author is sometimes not the best interpreter of his work.”

News.Az 

By Nijat Babayev