Volman died in Nashville, Tenn., after a &34;brief, unexpected illness.&34; Mark Volman, founding member of the Turtles, dies at 78

Volman died in Nashville, Tenn., after a "brief, unexpected illness."

Mark Volman, founding member of the Turtles, dies at 78

Volman died in Nashville, Tenn., after a "brief, unexpected illness."

By Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on *Entertainment Tonight* and Popsugar.

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September 5, 2025 4:06 p.m. ET

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Mark Volman of the Turtles performs on June 9, 2023. Credit:

Bobby Bank/Getty

Mark Volman, a founding member of the '60s rock group the Turtles, died on Friday, Sept. 5, at the age of 78.

Volman died in Nashville, Tenn., after a "brief, unexpected illness," his rep confirmed in a statement to **.

The musician had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia in 2020, but he continued to perform on the annual "Happy Together" tours — an annual music fest that the Turtles (minus Howard Kaylan, who stopped touring due to health issues) headline — in the years that followed. He publicly revealed his diagnosis in 2023.

Mark Volman of the Turtles performs on June 14, 2024.

Bobby Bank/Getty

Volman opened up about the diagnosis for the first time in an interview with PEOPLE, saying, "I got hit by the knowledge that this was going to create a whole new part of my life. And I said, 'Okay, whatever's going to happen will happen, but I'll go as far as I can.'"

"The challenges of this world affect everybody, and it's been kind of fun being on the other side of a challenge like this and saying, 'I feel good.' My friends are here. I'm still here. And I want people to connect with me," he added.**

Born in Los Angeles on April 19, 1947, Volman began playing music and performing at an early age. It was at Westchester High School where he met classmate and future bandmate Kaylan, joining the latter's band, the Crossfires. After graduating from high school in 1965, he and Kaylan founded the Turtles alongside lead guitarist Al Nichol, rhythm guitarist Jim Tucker, bassist Chuck Portz, and drummer Don Murray.

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Together, the group released their No. 1 hit "Happy Together," as well as such songs as "It Ain't Me Babe," "You Baby," "She'd Rather Be with Me," and "Elenore."

After the band split in 1970, he and Kaylan reinvented themselves as the duo Flo & Eddie. They toured with Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention, created infamous background vocals on various hit albums from T. Rex to Bruce Springsteen, wrote for children's television shows like *Strawberry Shortcake*, and earned a reputation for irreverent humor and versatility.

In 2023, Volman recalled the epic memories of creating these hits, partying with John Lennon and Jimi Hendrix, and his long musical career in a memoir titled *Happy Forever*.

The Turtles perform the song 'Happy Together' on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1967.

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Volman returned to college in his '40s, earning his bachelor's and master's degrees in screenwriting at Loyola Marymount University before teaching music business at several institutions, most notably Belmont University in Nashville.

Volman is survived by his significant other, Emily Volman; his ex-wife Pat Voman and their daughters, Hallie Volman and Sarina Miller; and his brother, Phil Volman.

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