ROARING FORK BROADCASTING COMPANY
Bobby Mason, a fixture in Aspen’s music scene for nearly 50 years, passed away Tuesday in Eureka, California, in a health care facility. He was 80.
Mason, who was was inducted into the Aspen Hall of Fame in 2018, is survived by his wife Jane, daughter Danielle and son Tony.
“I met Bobby in the early 1980s and he was introduced to me as the ‘musical mayor of Aspen,’ and he was,” said John Oates, a longtime friend and collaborator of Mason’s. “I felt fortunate that he embraced me and we played together many times. Bobby was a true performer and guitarist. He always had a smile on his face and a good word to say about everyone. He will be missed.”
Mason was remembered at Tuesday’s Aspen City Council meeting by Mayor Torre.
“My memory here is for Bobby Mason and everything that he meant to this community. He was a driving force in the music scene in Aspen forever, but what that meant is he was also a driving force in the cultural scene here in Aspen for a very long time. Bobby will be missed,” Torre said.
Mason’s Aspen story starts out like so many told by longtime residents of the upper Roaring Fork Valley. He came here in 1969 from Los Angeles for a two-week gig at the Aspen Inn, but ended up staying for close to five decades.
In the early 1970s, Mason, who was a guitar player and vocalist, collaborated with keyboard player Bob Carpenter in a band called Homebrew. John Denver had just founded a new record label called Windsong Records and he signed Homebrew to its roster. Columbia Records released the band’s first record and songs by Homebrew were later covered by Denver himself, Three Dog Night and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
The band changed their name to Starwood. Mason and Carpenter were joined in the band by members Michael Buono, Haden Gregg, David James Holster, Bernie Mysior and Bryan Savage.
Mason earned national notoriety in the 1970s by performing Starwood’s song “One Time Band” with John Denver on “The Merv Griffin Show,” according to a story in The Aspen Times. He recorded the song “Ballad of a Loser” with Dolly Parton, and he headlined at venues such as Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison and the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, the same story notes.
Other acts with whom Mason performed include the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, the Eagles, New Grass Revival, Jimmy Buffett, Bo Diddley, JJ Cale, Dan Fogelberg, Kenny Loggins, Jerry Jeff Walker and Bonnie Raitt, to name a few.
John Michel is a drummer, vocalist, guitar player and Roaring Fork Valley resident. He plays drums in the John Oates Band in addition to several other groups. He called Mason “a great ambassador for music in the valley.”
“I first met John when I toured here in the mid '90s with my band Little Blue,” Michel recalled. “He really embraced us and we became great friends. I ended up living with him for about eight months. Years later, I was able to return the favor and he lived with me for six months.”
Michel and other members of Little Blue traveled to Joshua Tree in 2006 and recorded Mason’s solo album “Laid Back Upfront.” Mason’s son Tony engineered the record.
“I think it’s his best record,” Michel said. “We recorded it live in the room together on 1-inch analog tape. It was great to see Bobby and his son Tony work together. They had a great camaraderie. It was very special to be a part of it.”
Mason cherished his sobriety and was a prominent member of the local recovery community. He lived through several health challenges over the years, dating back to open heart surgery in 2012. He developed lung issues that forced him to leave Aspen in search of lower altitude in 2018, shortly after he was inaugurated into the Aspen Hall of Fame.
In 2014, Mason reunited with Starwood for a benefit concert in Snowmass Village. At the concert, he married his wife Jane on stage.
The Aspen Hall of Fame wrote this on its website about Mason: “Bobby Mason is a big presence with an equally large voice and heart. His incredible musical talent is matched by his sweet and humble nature, as evidenced by the 48-year legacy he has created in Aspen.”
Bobby was such a loving guy, a great guy to hang with,” Michel said. “We played a lot of gigs together over the years. He was a legend.”