Mark Volman, a founding member of the 1960’s pop group The Turtles, whose hits include “Happy Together” and “Elenore,” died in Nashville, Tennessee, on Friday after a brief, unexpected illness, according to his publicist, Ame Van Iden. He was 78.
Volman was known for his exuberant stage presence and distinctive vocals. In a 1967 performance of “Happy Together” posted to YouTube, Volman wears bright orange and dances around with a French horn that he doesn’t appear to play, but does place on bandmate Howard Kaylan’s head.
His significant other, Emily Volman, posted to his official Instagram account that Volman had joked he wanted news of his death to read, ”‘Teen Idol Dead, Drugs Suspected’.”
“I messed up!” she posted. “Sorry, honey.”
She called him a “magical man” who was “goofy and happy and funny and smart and generous and kind and talented and gentle and creative and thoughtful and hardworking and tough and unique.”
The Turtles broke up in 1970 during an acrimonious split with their label, and a contract clause would not allow the members to perform under their own names. So Volman and Kaylan reinvented themselves as the duo Flo & Eddie, earning a reputation for their humor and versatility. They toured with Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention, created background vocals for Bruce Springsteen, and wrote music for television shows like Strawberry Shortcake.
“Always funny, always upbeat, and a spirited and inventive performer, we will miss him greatly,” Evan Cohen, Volman’s attorney and longtime friend, posted to Facebook. He wrote that Volman and Kaylan set an example by advocating for the rights of musicians in owning their recordings and band names. They eventually regained control of The Turtles’ music and name and began touring again.
During a “Happy Together” tour in 2011, Volman told The Daily Republic that he constantly heard stories from people about what the hit song meant to them, including many people who played the tune at their weddings.
“That one song changed our entire future forever,” Volman said. “We were very fortunate to be part of a song that has such staying power. That song has really become part of the American life of so many people.”
A “borderline C” student in high school who figured he would do sheet-metal work like his father if his band didn’t take off, Volman enrolled in college at age 45 after visiting a school with his older daughter. He eventually earned a master’s degree and started teaching music business, landing at Belmont University in Nashville in 2005. He would even take students on tour with him as part of his classes, giving them firsthand experience in tour management, stage management, audio engineering and tour accounting.
Speaking about the decision to teach, Volman told the Nashville Scene at the time, “Successful artists are few and far between, and I wanted to attach an element of reality to things. Failure is an option, a good option because it teaches you to pick yourself up. Just because you put out a record that doesn’t succeed, that doesn’t make it a bad record.”
In 2023, he published his memoir, “Happy Forever: My Musical Adventures With The Turtles, Frank Zappa, T. Rex, Flo & Eddie, and More.”
Volman was diagnosed in 2020 with Lewy body dementia, but he continued to perform on annual “Happy Together” tours in the years that followed. He publicly revealed his diagnosis in 2023.
He is survived by Emily Volman; his ex-wife, Pat Volman; and their daughters, Hallie Volman and Sarina Miller; and his brother, Phil Volman.
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Sejal Govindarao contributed from Phoenix.
