Mason Interview Hudson Hub Times

[michelej1]

Spotlight on: Dave Mason, Hudson Hub Times, July 19, 2009

http://www.hudsonhubtimes.com/news/article/4630259
Sitting in a hotel lounge and having a Coke with the legendary singer-songwriter-guitarist, Dave Mason, is not an everyday occurrence for Deborah Carothers, Streetsboro Family Days entertainment director.

But this past March, just prior to his performance at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction ceremonies, Mason sat with Carothers and talked about his life and music.

With only a trace of a British accent, Mason spoke of his childhood in England.

"I always dreamt of being a member of the Royal Air Force," Mason said. "But I found out I did not have the aptitude for mathematics."

So a teenage Dave Mason left his dreams of the Royal Air Force, picked up a guitar, moved to the United States and embarked on a music career that would eventually lead to his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.

Although Mason's music is well known to the underground classic-rockers who have followed him since the '60s when he and Steve Winwood were members of the band "Traffic," Mason is perhaps best known to the general public for his '70s rock ballad "We Just Disagree," a song that also became a country hit when Billy Dean re-recorded it in the '90's.

In the '90's Mason was also a member of the band Fleetwood Mac. Having played with so many of "the classic rock greats" like Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, and Jimi Hendrix, Mason has earned a widely-respected reputation as a distinctive and tasteful rock guitarist and singer whose "blues and blue-eyed soul" style epitomized the word "cool" to the baby boomers who were once the "freaks" in their high school days. Some of those baby boomers may be surprised to learn that the "very cool" classic rocker Mason also recorded an unlikely duet with the late pop icon Michael Jackson in the '80's.

"He [Michael Jackson] was recording 'Thriller' in the next room while I was recording my album at the same studio in L.A.," Mason said. "I saw Michael during a break, and simply asked him if he would sing on my album. He said 'Yes,' walked into my session and recorded the tracks to 'Save Me.'"

This year, Mason released a brand new album titled "12 Notes, 26 Letters" which is available for purchase on his Web site www.DaveMason.com.

Mason said he came up with that title because "those are the tools we [songwriters] have to work with." As a songwriter, Mason penned several hits including the Joe Cocker hit "Feeling All Right" and the Jimi Hendrix hit "All Along the Watchtower."

Today, Mason tours about 200 days out of the year and also makes time for a charity called "Work Vessels for Veterans," an organization that helps veterans enter the civilian work force after they return from duty.

If he had to choose another occupation, Mason said he would be a financial adviser.

But why would someone who fell somewhat short of the Royal Air Force's standards for mathematical aptitude want to become a financial adviser?

"Because mathematics and money are two different things," said Mason. "My dad always told me 'You don't have to be smart to make money; but you have to be smart to keep it.'"

When asked what financial advice Mason would give to those who are trying to stimulate the economy today, he responded by saying "Slash taxes to nothing." As the interview concluded, the musician who is wise with money graciously paid for the Cokes and told Carothers he was looking forward to the Streetsboro show in July.

Mason, who lives in California, will come to Streetsboro Ohio for Streetsboro Family Days on July 31 to perform a free concert at Streetsboro City Park. He will be introduced by Cleveland musician and radio personality Michael Stanley.

For more information on the concert see www.streetsborofamilydays.org.