Traffic Co-Founder Dave Mason Dead at 79

Dave Mason, the co-founder of rock band Traffic, has died at age 79.

He passed peacefully in his sleep on Sunday, his family announced on his official Facebook page. They say he died "after cooking an amazing dinner with his beloved wife Winifred," while he was taking a nap with their Maltese dog, Star, at his feet.

They went on ... "He passed away peacefully, in his favorite chair, surrounded by the beautiful Carson Valley that he loved so much. A storybook ending. On his own terms. Which is how he lived his life right up until the end."

The English musician is best known for creating Traffic in 1967 alongside Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, and Chris Wood. The group had major hits with "Paper Sun," "Hole in My Shoe," and "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush," but Mason was fired in 1968 ... only briefly rejoining in 1971.

He spoke about his departure from Traffic in his 2021 memoir "Only You Know & I Know," in which he remembered bandmate Steve telling him ... "I don’t like the way you write, I don’t like the way you sing. I don’t like the way you play and … we don’t want you in the band anymore."

His song with Traffic, "Feelin’ Alright?", became a staple classic-rock tune covered by dozens of stars over the years ... first becoming popularized by Joe Cocker in 1969. Despite being separated from the band, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for his work with them in 2004.

He also had a flourishing solo career, playing with Paul McCartney, Jimi Hendrix, and the Rolling Stones, plus 3 albums that went gold. He released his last album, "A Shade of Blues," in 2025, though he stopped touring in 2024 due to his doc discovering a serious heart condition.

He is survived by his wife and by his daughter Danielle Mason, who was born during a previous marriage. A son named True, from another marriage, died in 2006.

He was 79.