Singer-songwriter Dave Mason, who co-founded the group Traffic, wrote hits like “Feelin’ Alright?” and “Only You Know and I Know” and sang the 1970s hit “We Just Disagree,” died on Sunday, his publicist said. He was 79.
Mason, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 with Traffic members Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi and Chris Wood in 2004, died at his home in Gardnerville, Nevada.
His death was confirmed by his publicist, Melissa Dragich, The New York Times reported. She did not provide a cause of death.
Mason played with Jimi Hendrix, Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones, USA Today reported.
He left Traffic in 1968 and worked with the Stones on their “Beggars Banquet” album, according to Variety. He played a 12-string guitar on Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower” and also contributed on several tracks of George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass” album.
Mason’s version of “Feelin’ Alright?” was not an immediate hit with Traffic in 1968, but Joe Cocker’s version the following year elevated the song to a rock ‘n’ roll classic, the Times reported.
The song was also covered by the Jackson 5, Gladys Knight & the Pips and Grand Funk Railroad. He also performed with or recorded with David Crosby, Graham Nash, Michael Jackson, Cass Elliot and Leon Russell, according to Variety.
“I’m kind of the Forrest Gump of rock,” Mason told USA Today in a 2024 interview. In March 2025, he released “A Shade of Blues,” his 21st album, featuring appearances by Michael McDonald and Joe Bonamassa.
“I wrote (’Feelin’ Alright?’) 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.”
As a solo artist, Mason collected three gold albums, the Times reported. That included his 1970 debut, “Alone Together.” His 1977 work, “Let It Flow,” went platinum and included the hit ballad “We Just Disagree,” which peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Mason briefly played with Fleetwood Mac during the 1990s, appearing on the 1995 album “Time,” according to Variety.
David Thomas Mason was born on May 10, 1946, in Worcester, England, the Times reported. He became influenced by the guitar work of Hank Marvin, who played for the Shadows.
He met Capaldi in 1964 and joined him in a group called the Hellions. When Capaldi joined another band, Mason became a roadie for the Spencer Davis Group, where he met Winwood, according to the newspaper.
When Winwood formed Traffic, he asked Mason, Capaldi and Wood to join him.
Ill health forced Mason to cancel a tour last year, Variety reported. During his life, he also battled drug addiction, went bankrupt, had several failed relationships, and lost his son True in 2006 at age 35, according to USA Today.