MARK VOLMAN, a founding member of ‘60s pop band THE TURTLES, has died. He was 78. Volman sang harmonies with musical partner Howard Kaylan on their No. 1 hit song “Happy Together” and the top 10 singles “It Ain’t Me Babe,” “She’d Rather Be with Me” and “Elenore.”
Volman died today (Fri., Sept. 5, 2025) in Nashville after revealing a couple of years ago that he had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia. Volman and Kaylan founded the annual “Happy Together” pop oldies concert tour in 1984, and Mark continued to perform each year up to the last show for the summer of 2025 on August 31st. in Appleton, Wisconsin.
Volman was a founding member, vocalist, and songwriter of The Turtles alongside his stage partner Howard Kaylan. After the band folded, Mark and Howard joined Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention, changing their names to the pseudonyms of "Flo" (Volman) and “Eddie” (Kaylan).
Mark and Howard started The Turtles in 1965 with the band selling over 60 million records worldwide, and earning six top 10 hit singles with “It Ain’t Me Babe,” “She’d Rather Be With Me,” “Elenore,” “You Baby,” “She’s My Girl,” “You Showed Me,” and the chart-topping single “Happy Together.” At the height of their popularity, co-frontman Volman reportedly insured his distinctive frizzy hair for $100,000 “against fire, theft or loss due to illness.”
As the decade of the 1970s began and The Turtles’ success faded, Volman and Kaylan discovered in the terms of their record label contract they were forbidden to use the band’s name—or even their own names—if they wanted to perform outside of the group.
Mark and Howard were forced to use the stage names Flo & Eddie after they were recruited for the satirical rock band Mothers of Invention (they joined in time to appear on the soundtrack of Frank Zappa's humorous pseudo-documentary film “200 Motels”.)
After leaving Zappa’s band, Flo & Eddie wrote songs and provided voices for several animated films including “The Care Bears Movie” and “Strawberry Shortcake,” and also worked in radio broadcasting.
At the age of 45, Volman went back to school at Loyola Marymount University to study for his Bachelor's degree. In 1997, he graduated Magna cum Laude with a B.A. in Communication and Fine Arts, and was the class Valedictorian speaker. During his speech, he led his fellow graduates in a chorus of his band’s biggest hit, "Happy Together."
The kinky-haired tambourine player and backing vocalist of The Turtles eventually earned a Master's degree in Fine Arts from Loyola Marymount. Volman was hired to teach Music Business and Industry courses in the Communications department at the university, and also taught courses in the Commercial Music program at Los Angeles Valley College.
A few years later, Mark Volman became an associate professor and coordinator of Entertainment Industry Studies at Christian college Belmont University in Nashville. He also conducted music industry seminars around the country at various academic institutions and schools.
Volman and Kaylan were the founders of the annual “Happy Together” concert series that featured various ‘60s and ‘70s Oldies acts, and criss-crossed the US every summer (except during the pandemic years.) The summer of 2025 leg of the tour kicked off on May 29th in Melbourne, Florida, with the lineup of Mark Volman and Ron Dante (substituting for the retired Howard Kaylan) performing the hits of The Turtles, Jay & The Americans, Little Anthony (of Little Anthony & the Imperials), Gary Puckett (of Gary Puckett & the Union Gap), The Vogues and The Cowsills.
Volman was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015, but was given a clean bill of health after undergoing treatment. For many years, the Los Angeles native conducted seminars as an Artist in Residence at the Church of God college Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee. In addition, he offered Music Business and Entertainment consulting through his website “Ask Professor Flo.”
Mark Volman and his wife, Emily, were both active members of Harpeth Presbyterian Church in Brentwood, Tennessee, where they served as Youth Ministers. - Chuck Halley, Classic Music/TV/Film Blogger
Pictured: Mark Volman (second from left) and The Turtles - Howard Kaylan, Jim Pons, John Barbata and Al Nichol (ca. 1967) (credit: Alamy/Minnesota Public Radio); (inset) blogger Chuck Halley (sitting) with (l-r) Mark Volman (The Turtles), Gary Puckett (Gary Puckett & the Union Gap), Howard Kaylan (The Turtles) and Mark Lindsay (Paul Revere & the Raiders) at the "Happy Together” tour at the Hard Rock Cafe in Biloxi, Mississippi, in 2013.