Dave Mason
A rock journeyman whose melodic songwriting gave Traffic its first hits and later fueled a durable solo career.
Born 1946 (age 80)·English musician·Birthday: May 10·Baby Boomers
Biography
Dave Mason's musical journey began not in a smoky London club, but on the streets of Worcester, where he first connected with Steve Winwood. That partnership birthed Traffic, a band that would define the psychedelic era. Mason's tenure was brief but incandescent; he penned the whimsical 'Hole in My Shoe' and the enduringly funky 'Feelin' Alright?', providing the fledgling group with its initial commercial spark. Preferring the road of a solo artist, he embarked on a winding path, becoming a sought-after session guitarist who played on landmark albums like Jimi Hendrix's 'Electric Ladyland'. His own records, particularly the 1970 album 'Alone Together', cultivated a dedicated following, and the bittersweet 'We Just Disagree' became an unexpected radio perennial, ensuring his voice remained a fixture in American rock long after the Summer of Love faded. Mason never sought the spotlight's constant glare, instead building a legacy through craftsmanship and songs that felt both personal and universal.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Dave was born in 1946, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dave Was Born
The biggest hits of 1946
#1 Movie
The Best Years of Our Lives
Best Picture
The Best Years of Our Lives
Dave's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1946Born
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1951Started school
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1959Became a teenager
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1962Could drive
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1964Could vote
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1967Turned 21
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1976Turned 30
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 40
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 50
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 60
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 70
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 80
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-founded the influential rock band Traffic and wrote their early hits 'Hole in My Shoe' and 'Feelin' Alright?'.
- Played acoustic guitar on Jimi Hendrix's classic recording of 'All Along the Watchtower'.
- His song 'Only You Know and I Know' became a major hit for the duo Delaney & Bonnie.
- Scored a top 20 solo hit in the U.S. with the song 'We Just Disagree' in 1977.
- Released the critically acclaimed solo album 'Alone Together', which featured the track 'Only You Know and I Know'.
Did You Know?
He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Traffic in 2004.
Mason designed the iconic kaleidoscope album cover for his debut solo album 'Alone Together'.
He performed at the original Woodstock festival in 1969 as part of the band Traffic.
Mason has toured extensively as a member of Fleetwood Mac, following the departure of Lindsey Buckingham.
“I'm not a rock star. I'm a working musician. There's a big difference.”
