Legendary guitarist and Hendrix collaborator passes away at 79

EntertainmentMusic
22 Apr 2026 • 5:47 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Legendary guitarist and Hendrix collaborator passes away at 79

  • Dave Mason, the guitarist for British psychedelic rock band Traffic passed away peacefully on Sunday, 19 April, aged 79.
  • The news of his death was shared on Tuesday, 21 April, with no cause of death officially given.
  • Mason co-founded Traffic in 1967, contributing to their early success with three top 10 singles, including “Hole in My Shoe”, which he wrote and sang.
  • Throughout his career, he collaborated with renowned artists such as Jimi Hendrix and The Rolling Stones, and also pursued a successful solo career, releasing 10 albums and achieving three gold albums.
  • Traffic was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, and Mason had retired from touring last September due to ongoing health challenges.

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