Mark Volman, co-founder of the 1960s pop-rock band The Turtles and half of the musical duo Flo & Eddie, died September 5 in Nashville, Tennessee, after a brief, unexpected illness. He was 78.
Volman’s lawyer Evan Cohen confirmed the death in a Facebook post September 5, stating that Volman had “died at the age of 78.” Cohen described the musician as always funny, always upbeat, and a spirited and inventive performer.
Born in Los Angeles on April 19, 1947, Volman met Howard Kaylan during their high school years at Westchester High School. They began performing together in 1963 when Volman joined Kaylan’s band The Crossfires. The group eventually became The Turtles in 1965, with the founding lineup including Kaylan on lead vocals, Volman on backup vocals, Al Nichol on lead guitar, Don Murray on drums, Chuck Portz on bass and Jim Tucker on rhythm guitar.
The band achieved their first mainstream success with a cover of Bob Dylan’s “It Ain’t Me Babe,” which reached the Billboard Top 10 in summer 1965. However, their signature hit came in 1967 with “Happy Together,” which spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 just before the Summer of Love.
Throughout their career, The Turtles scored 17 entries on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned five top 10 hits. Their other successful singles included “She’d Rather Be with Me,” “You Baby,” “She’s My Girl,” “Elenore,” and “You Showed Me.” The song “Happy Together” was later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2007.
The Turtles disbanded in 1970 due to problems with their management and record label. Following the split, Volman and Kaylan reinvented themselves as the rock-comedy duo Flo & Eddie. The pair had originally joined Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention as “Phlorescent Leech & Eddie,” with Volman eventually shortening his stage name to “Flo” and Kaylan becoming “Eddie.”
As Flo & Eddie, they maintained a successful touring schedule and provided background vocals for numerous artists. Their work included backing vocals on T. Rex’s “Bang a Gong (Get It On)” and Bruce Springsteen’s first Top 10 single “Hungry Heart.” They also created music for children’s television shows, notably “Strawberry Shortcake.”
In 2020, Volman was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, a common type of dementia associated with Alzheimer’s disease that causes progressive decline in mental and physical abilities. Despite his diagnosis, he continued performing through the early stages of his illness. He publicly revealed the diagnosis in 2023, describing symptoms that included hallucinations, tremors and struggles with concentration.
Volman indicated to People magazine that while the diagnosis created a whole new part of his life, he planned to go as far as he could. He continued participating in the annual Happy Together tours, which featured various acts from the 1960s and 1970s era, including Gary Puckett, Mitch Ryder, and The Monkees’ Micky Dolenz.
In his mid-40s, Volman returned to college, earning a bachelor’s degree from Loyola Marymount University in 1997 followed by a Master of Fine Arts with an emphasis on screenwriting in 1999. He subsequently taught music business courses at several institutions, most notably serving as coordinator for Belmont University’s Entertainment Industry Studies Program from 2005 to 2019.
Known to his students as “Professor Flo,” Volman’s passion for education extended beyond the classroom. He allowed students to travel with him on the Happy Together Tour to gain hands-on experience in production and the entertainment industry. Belmont professor Nathan Adam described Volman as someone who loved people and embodied the feel-good nature of his hit song, noting that he was happier together with others passionate about music and creating.
Curb College Dean Brittany Schaffer indicated that Volman dedicated himself to teaching and mentoring the next generation of music industry professionals, challenging students to think critically about the business while encouraging them to find joy in the creative process. His song “Happy Together” became a tradition at Belmont home basketball games, where students would wrap their arms around each other and sing along.
Volman published his memoir “Happy Forever: My Musical Adventures With The Turtles, Frank Zappa, T. Rex, Flo & Eddie, and More” in 2023. Kaylan had retired from touring in 2018 due to his own health issues, leaving Volman as the last original Turtles member performing with the band.
Volman is survived by his significant other Emily Volman, his ex-wife Patricia Lee Hickey and their daughters Hallie Volman and Sarina Miller, and his brother Phil Volman. He was married to Hickey from 1967 to 1992, and later married Emily Volman in 2000 before divorcing in 2015.
