Dave

The roster of campaign contributors to Los Angeles mayoral candidates has something in common with the courtside seats at Lakers games: Both are sprinkled with the rich and famous.

There’s Colin Jost, “Saturday Night Live’s” Weekend Update host, popping up as a donor to Councilmember Nithya Raman. Mayor Karen Bass, meanwhile, counts former Major League Baseball star Dave Winfield among her contributors.

Lakers governor and part-owner Jeanie Buss is there too, as a donor to reality TV personality Spencer Pratt. All three gave the maximum $1,800 contributions to their chosen candidates.

With Los Angeles at the center of the entertainment industry, big names like Jost, Winfield and Buss (none of whom responded to requests for comment) are par for the course in local elections. There might have been even more celebrity contributions were it not for the late-breaking entries of Pratt and Raman in the race, said political consultant Mike Trujillo.

“It’s a very short timeline that is not usual for a mayor’s race where you’re challenging an incumbent,” said Trujillo, who isn’t affiliated with any of the mayoral campaigns. “It takes a while to get these celebrities.”

Trujillo said he expects more big names will contribute if no candidate wins a majority in the June 2 primary, which would trigger a runoff in the Nov. 3 general election.

In 2022, “E.T.” director Steven Spielberg gave $1,500 to Bass’ first campaign for mayor as well as $125,000 to the independent expenditure group “Communities United for Bass for LA Mayor 2022.” J.J. Abrams, the director of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” also gave $125,000 to the group.

Jeffrey Katzenberg, the co-founder of DreamWorks Animation, gave nearly $2 million to the pro-Bass group.

Winfield and Buss weren’t the only names associated with the sports world to wade into the mayoral maelstrom.

Brian McCourt, son of former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, contributed the maximum $1,800 to Bass’ reelection campaign. He is the president of the McCourt Foundation, which runs the Los Angeles Marathon.

Magic Johnson’s son, Andre Johnson, who now runs Magic Johnson Enterprises, also gave the maximum to Bass.

Bass also collected donations from “Grey’s Anatomy” actor James Pickens Jr. and from Pauletta Washington, Denzel Washington’s wife. In 2025, Bass received $1,800 from Edythe Broad, the widow of billionaire developer Eli Broad and co-founder of the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation.

Raman received dozens of contributions from successful Hollywood writers, producers and directors. She is married to Vali Chandrasekaran, a writer for hit TV shows including “30 Rock” and “Modern Family.” She took in maximum contributions from stand-up comedian Adam Conover as well as musician Joanna Newsom, the wife of Andy Samberg.

The most recent campaign contribution reports showed Pratt raising nearly $540,000 since Jan. 1, more than any other candidate. About $131,000 of his contributions were in so-called un-itemized contributions of under $100, significantly more than any other candidate.

Among the itemized contributions, Pratt reported getting $1,800 from Rick Salomon, the professional poker player who is known for a 2004 sex tape with Paris Hilton. Salomon’s daughter Tyson Salomon, a social media influencer, gave $1,250 to Pratt.

Two other mayoral candidates, tech entrepreneur Adam Miller and community organizer Rae Huang, also raised more than $200,000 each, though there were fewer household names in their contributions

Miller loaned his own campaign $2.5 million.

Dave Mason, a founding member of the British psychedelic rock band Traffic who wrote some of their best-known songs including “Feelin’ Alright?” and “Hole in My Shoe,” has died. He was 79.

The singer and guitarist died Sunday at his home in Gardnerville, Nev., his publicist confirmed to the Associated Press. No cause of death was given.

“On Sunday, April 19, after cooking an amazing dinner with his beloved wife Winifred, [Mason] sat down to take a nap with sweet Star (the maltese) at his feet,” said a post shared Tuesday on the musician’s Instagram page. “He passed away peacefully, in his favorite chair, surrounded by the beautiful Carson Valley that he loved so much. A storybook ending. On his own terms. Which is how he lived his life right up until the end.”

“He leaves a lasting imprint on the soundtrack of our lives and the hearts he has lifted. His legacy will be cherished forever,” the tribute concluded.

Mason canceled his 2024 tour dates after doctors “detected a serious heart condition” during a routine check-up that required “immediate medical attention.” He was expected to make “a full and successful recovery” after treatments. He later announced his retirement from touring in 2025, citing “ongoing health challenges.”

Born May 10, 1946, in Worcester, England, Mason was a teenager when he joined singer and keyboardist-guitarist Steve Winwood, drummer Jim Capaldi and woodwind player Chris Wood to form Traffic in 1967. The band was known for its psychedelic sound that blended elements (and instruments) of rock, blues, R&B and jazz.

Mason was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 for his work with Traffic, but the musician had a fraught history with the group.

“We did some good stuff,” Mason told The Times in 1995. “We were young kids. The first song I wrote was their first big hit in England (‘Hole in My Shoe’). But I was only 19 years old and couldn’t handle all the fame, really. It was just too much.”

He explained that after he left the band the first time, he was asked to come back because “they didn’t have enough songs for a second album,” while he had written “five or six” including “Feelin’ Alright?” The song, now considered a classic rock staple, has been covered by multiple artists including Joe Cocker, Huey Lewis, the Jackson 5, Gladys Knight & the Pips and Grand Funk Railroad.

“Then I found out that Steve [Winwood] didn’t really care for my stuff,” Mason said. “From my point of view, I think [our] differences made something better. … But it just pulled too much I suppose, and they couldn’t work it. I was more or less forced into having to leave.”

Mason’s subsequent solo career included three gold albums: his 1970 debut “Alone Together” — which featured hits like “Only You Know and I Know,” “Shouldn’t Have Took More Than You Gave” and “World in Changes;” 1974’s “Dave Mason” and 1978’s “Mariposa de Oro.” His 1977 album “Let It Flow” was certified platinum.

He also collaborated with other notable acts such as Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, Joe Cocker’s Mad Dogs & Englishmen, and Fleetwood Mac.

Winwood shared a tribute to his bandmate on Wednesday on Instagram.

“Dave was part of Traffic during its earliest chapter, and played an important role in shaping the band’s sound and identity during that time,” said the caption accompanying a photo of a young Mason. “His songwriting, musicianship and distinctive spirit helped create music that has lasted far beyond its era, and continues to mean so much to listeners around the world.”

“Those years remain a special part of the band’s story, and Dave’s contribution to them is not forgotten,” Winwood continued. “His place in that history will always be remembered, and through the music, his presence endures.”

Mason is survived by his wife, Winifred Wilson, daughter Danielle, nephew John Leonard, niece Michelle Leonard and his brothers-in-law, Sloan Wilson and Walton Wilson.