Mark Volman passed away in Nashville on September 5, Friday. He had co-founded rock band The Turtles and later performed as part of Flo & Eddie. His family said the death followed a sudden illness at age 78.
Mark was born in in 1947 in LA. He discovered music early and stuck with it. After finishing at Westchester High School in 1965, he joined Howard Kaylan to put together The Turtles. The lineup also included Al Nichol, Jim Tucker, Chuck Portz and Don Murray.
The Turtles became one of the most popular acts of the decade. They scored big with It Ain’t Me Babe, Elenore and the No. 1 single Happy Together. Mark’s harmonies helped give the song its lasting charm.
But when the group split in 1970, Mark and Howard stayed together as Flo & Eddie. They toured with Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention and sang on records for other artists. Their voices can be heard on T. Rex’s Bang a Gong (Get It On) and Bruce Springsteen’s Hungry Heart. They also moved into television, creating music for the children’s cartoon Strawberry Shortcake.
In his late forties Mark decided to return to school. He earned a degree at Loyola Marymount University in 1997 and later a master’s in fine arts. He went on to teach music business courses, most notably at Belmont University in Nashville, where he spent many years mentoring students.
Mark was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia in 2020 but continued to perform in the early stages. He went public with the diagnosis in 2023, the same year he released his memoir, Happy Forever: My Musical Adventures With The Turtles, Frank Zappa, T. Rex, Flo & Eddie, and More.
He is survived by his partner, Emily Volman, his former wife, Pat Volman, their daughters, Hallie Volman and Sarina Miller, and his brother, Phil Volman.
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