Dave Mason, the guitarist who wrote the classic rock standard “Feelin’ Alright?” while he was a member of
and later found solo success with the propulsive “Only You Know and I Know” and the soft-rock staple “We Just Disagree,” died on Sunday. He was 79. A cause of death was not immediately available.
“On behalf of his family, it is with deep and profound sadness that we share the news of the passing of Dave Mason,” a statement from his publicist, Melissa Dragich, read. “Dave Mason lived a remarkable life devoted to the music and people he loved.”
Last fall, Mason announced his retirement from touring, citing ongoing health challenges as the reason behind his decision. “He retires from touring a happy man with a heart full of gratitude to his band members, business colleagues, and especially his legions of fans who made his life one of deep satisfaction and fulfillment,” read a
on his social media at the time. “The immensity of his joy remains solid as he steps back from the stage.”
Mason began his career with Traffic, giving the psychedelic band their biggest British hit with “Hole in My Shoe.” He left the band shortly after the single climbed to Number Two in 1967, an early indication of the wanderlust that became his signature. Over the course of his career, Mason played on sessions by the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, and George Harrison, playing alongside Eric Clapton on a tour with Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, and even spending time in Fleetwood Mac in the early 1990s. He’d later laugh that “I’m kind of the Forrest Gump of rock,” a declaration he made to
while promoting his 2024 memoir,
Only You Know and I Know.
Born May 10, 1946, in Worcester, Dave Mason grew up in the Midlands of England, roughly 12 miles away from where Robert Plant and John Bonham were raised; also nearby was Jim Capaldi, who would become his bandmate in Traffic. Mason sang in the school choir as a child, but his love of music was sparked by the big bang of rock & roll, particularly the music of Buddy Holly. Picking up guitar at the age of 16, he began playing music professionally as part of the instrumental rock group the Jaguars. He departed the band after the release of “Opus to Spring” in 1963, teaming up with Capaldi in the Hellions, who toured through the UK and Germany between 1964 and 1965.
