Dave Mason's Legacy: Traffic's Guitarist Passes

0:00It's April 22nd. Music news today starts now, AI powered and always on beat. Dave Mason, the guitarist from Traffic, passed away on April 19th. Steve Winnwood, his old bandmate, shared a heartfelt tribute online, calling Mason Key to the band's early sound back when they formed in 19. 67, with drummer Jim Capaldi and keyboardist Chris Wood. Mason helped shape their debut album Mr. Fantasy, including the hit Dear Mr. Fantasy, but he bounced in and out of the group multiple times over the years. He left after the first record, came back briefly, then got pushed out again before their 1968 and 1969 releases. Tensions ran high, especially with Winnwood, who once told Mason his songwriting, singing and playing, didn't fit. Even at their 2004 rock and roll hall of fame induction, Mason felt sidelined, skipping a performance before joining a jam on feeling. All right, his last stage time with Capaldi. Capaldi died from cancer less than a year later, and when Mason pitched a reunion to Winnwood

1:03in 2017, he got shut down over a supposed deathbed wish from Capaldi. Still, Mason kept the music alive, touring as Dave Mason's traffic jam, with those classic tunes right up to the end. Traffic's legacy rolls on through songs that still hit fans worldwide, a testament to Mason's spark, even after all the ups and downs.