Mark Volman, co-founder of the 1960s pop group The Turtles and half of the duo Flo & Eddie, died Friday, September 5, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee, following a brief, unexpected illness. He was 78.
Volman’s attorney Evan Cohen confirmed the death on Facebook, noting that the musician was “always funny, always upbeat, and a spirited and inventive performer, we will miss him greatly.”
Born in Los Angeles on April 19, 1947, Volman founded The Turtles in 1965 alongside Howard Kaylan, Al Nichol, Jim Tucker, Chuck Portz, and Don Murray after graduating from Westchester High School. The band achieved immediate success with their debut single, a cover of Bob Dylan’s “It Ain’t Me Babe,” which reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent 11 weeks on the chart in 1965.
The Turtles’ biggest commercial success came in 1967 with “Happy Together,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks and became certified triple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The song was later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2007. Over their career, the band charted 17 entries on the Hot 100 and earned five top 10 hits, including “She’d Rather Be With Me,” “Elenore,” and “You Showed Me.”
Following The Turtles’ breakup in 1970, Volman and Kaylan reinvented themselves as the duo Flo & Eddie, with Volman performing under the stage name “Flo.” The pair toured with Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention and provided background vocals for numerous prominent artists, including their work on T. Rex’s “Bang a Gong (Get It On)” and Bruce Springsteen’s “Hungry Heart.” They also created music for children’s television, notably the series “Strawberry Shortcake.”
In his forties, Volman returned to academia, earning a bachelor’s degree from Loyola Marymount University in 1997 and completing a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1999. He subsequently began teaching music business courses at the college level, serving most consistently as a faculty member at Belmont University in Nashville.
In 2020, Volman received a diagnosis of Lewy body dementia, a progressive neurological disorder. He first experienced symptoms in 2018, including slurred speech, wandering thoughts, and loss of concentration. Despite the diagnosis, he continued performing through the early stages of his illness and participated in the annual Happy Together tours alongside other acts from the 1960s and 1970s.
Volman publicly revealed his dementia diagnosis in 2023 during an interview with People magazine, explaining his approach to living with the condition. He indicated that after receiving the diagnosis, he determined to continue as far as possible despite the challenges ahead. That same year, he published his memoir, “Happy Forever: My Musical Adventures With The Turtles, Frank Zappa, T. Rex, Flo & Eddie, and More.”
Kaylan retired from touring in 2018 due to health issues, leaving Volman as the sole original member of The Turtles performing with the band. In 2010, the pair had begun organizing annual Happy Together tours featuring other artists from their era, including Gary Puckett, Mitch Ryder, Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere & The Raiders, Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad, Gary Lewis, and The Monkees’ Micky Dolenz. After Kaylan’s retirement, Volman continued with the tour, partnering with Archies singer Ron Dante through summer 2025.
Beyond their musical contributions, Volman and Kaylan established a significant legal legacy in the music industry. Cohen highlighted their decades-long advocacy for musicians’ rights through various legal actions, which influenced the progression of law in areas including sampling and the eventual protection of 1960s recordings under the Music Modernization Act.
Volman also faced health challenges earlier in his life, receiving a throat cancer diagnosis in 2015 before being cleared a year later. His final social media post in January 2025 addressed the destructive wildfires affecting his native Los Angeles, encouraging followers to stay strong and come together during the crisis.
The Turtles achieved their lone top 10 album chart position in February 1968 with “The Turtles! Golden Hits,” a compilation that reached the top 10 on the Billboard 200. As Flo & Eddie, the duo’s backing vocal work extended to collaborations with artists including Blondie, Alice Cooper, Duran Duran, John Lennon, and the Ramones.
Volman is survived by his significant other, Emily Volman, his ex-wife Pat Volman, their daughters Hallie Volman and Sarina Miller, and his brother Phil Volman.