Dave Mason, the British singer, songwriter, and guitarist who co-founded the rock band Traffic before launching a solo career, has died. His representative confirmed the news on behalf of Mason’s family, saying he died peacefully at home in Gardnerville, Nevada, on April 19. No cause was given. Mason was 79 years old. Born in the British county of Worcester, Mason learned guitar playing along to Elmore James, Buddy Guy, and George Benson records on the radio, before co-founding Traffic in 1967. Fronted by singer and multi-instrumentalist Steve Winwood, the band made waves outside of its hometown, scoring UK chart hits with “Paper Sun” and Mason’s own “Hole in My Shoe.” Despite making his way out of and back into the Traffic lineup several times, Mason was a lynchpin of the quartet, writing and performing more breakout hits such as the oft-covered “Feelin’ Alright?,” later picked up by the likes of the Jackson 5, Joe Cocker, and Gladys Knight & the Pips.…