Mark Volman, co-founder of The Turtles, dies at 78 after sudden illness

The co-funder of Mark Volman has reportedly succumbed to a "brief, unexpected illness" at the age of 78.

People Magazine has reported that Volman, known for founding the '60s rock band The Turtles, died on Friday, September 5, in Nashville, Tennessee. He had been battling Lewy body dementia since his diagnosis in 2020.

During his illustrious five-decade career, he worked with Howard Kaylan, the singer who founded the band with him, as Flo & Eddie. The pair released albums together and also worked on covers of songs by Bruce Springsteen, T. Rex, and Frank Zappa.

Mark Volman's life and legacy explored:

In The Turtles, Mark Volman worked alongside Kaylan, Al Nichol, Jim Tucker, Chuck Portz, and Don Murray. The band is most known for their song “Happy Together,” which peaked at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart for three weeks, per Deadline. They also found success with other hits such as “It Ain’t Me Babe” and “Elenore.”

Per Variety, Volman was born in Los Angeles in 1947. He showed a musical inclination at a young age and founded the band shortly after graduating from Westchester High School in 1965.

However, The Turtles eventually disbanded, prompting Volman and Kaylan to form a duo. As Flo & Eddie, they even crafted tunes for television, such as for the children’s series Strawberry Shortcake. Per Deadline, Camila Cabello sampled their song “Keep It Warm” for her 2024 hit single, “I Luv It.”

Per People Magazine, Mark Volman returned to school to earn a master’s in screenwriting at Loyola Marymount University in his 40s and eventually went on to teach music at Belmont University in Nashville.

Despite being diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, a progressive neurological disorder, in 2020, he only opened up about it to the public in 2023.

“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,'" he told People Magazine at the time.

He treated his tremors and hallucinations with medication as he continued to work on the Happy Together tour with The Turtles, though Kaylan had retired by then due to his ailing health.

“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 told PEOPLE.

Deadline has reported that Mark Volman leaves behind his partner, Emily Volman, his former wife, Pat Volman, and their daughters, Hallie Volman and Sarina Miller. He is also survived by his brother, Phil Volman.

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