Mark Volman, a founding member of the 1960s pop group The Turtles, has died at the age of 78. He passed away on Friday in Nashville following a brief, unexpected illness. Volman was best known for his bright harmonies on the band's number one hit 'Happy Together', as well as other classics such as 'It Ain't Me Babe', 'You Baby', 'She'd Rather Be with Me' and 'Elenore'.
Volman revealed in 2023 that he had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia in 2020, but continued to perform on the annual 'Happy Together' oldies tours in subsequent years. Alongside his Turtles partner Howard Kaylan, Volman reinvented himself in 1970 as Flo & Eddie, a duo known for their humorous stage antics and distinctive vocal harmonies. They toured with Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention and provided background vocals on songs including T. Rex's 'Bang a Gong (Get It On)' and Bruce Springsteen's 'Hungry Heart'.
Born in Los Angeles on April 19, 1947, Volman met Kaylan in high school and they began singing together. The Turtles' first hit came in 1965 with a cover of Bob Dylan's 'It Ain't Me Babe', followed by numerous chart successes. 'Happy Together' reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks in 1967 and went top 10 in several countries, including number 12 in the UK. The band scored nine top 30 pop singles in the US, with five top 10s, and two UK top 10s.
In later life, Volman earned bachelor's and master's degrees and taught music business at several institutions, notably Belmont University in Nashville. In 2023, he published his memoir, 'Happy Forever: My Musical Adventures With The Turtles, Frank Zappa, T. Rex, Flo & Eddie, and More'. He is survived by his significant other Emily Volman, his ex-wife Pat Volman, their daughters Hallie Volman and Sarina Miller, and his brother Phil Volman.
