After a split with their label locked them from using “The Turtles” name, Volman and Howard Kaylan rebranded as the duo Flo & Eddie.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Mark Volman, a founding member of the 1960s pop group The Turtles, best known for hits like “Happy Together” and “Elenore,” passed away in Nashville, Tennessee, on Friday after a short and unexpected illness, as confirmed by his publicist, Ame Van Iden. He was 78 years old.
Volman was recognized for his lively stage presence and unique vocals. In a 1967 performance of “Happy Together” available on YouTube, Volman dons a bright orange outfit and dances energetically with a French horn, which he humorously places on his bandmate Howard Kaylan’s head rather than playing it.
His partner, Emily Volman, shared on his official Instagram account that Volman had humorously remarked he wanted news of his passing to state, “‘Teen Idol Dead, Drugs Suspected’.”
“I messed up!” she posted. “Sorry, honey.”
She described him as 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 disbanded in 1970 after a contentious split with their label, and a contract term prevented the members from performing under their own names. Consequently, Volman and Kaylan reinvented themselves as the duo Flo & Eddie, gaining fame for their humor and adaptability. They toured with Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention, contributed background vocals for Bruce Springsteen, and composed music for television shows like Strawberry Shortcake.
“Always funny, always upbeat, and a spirited and inventive performer, we will miss him greatly,” said Evan Cohen, Volman’s attorney and longtime friend, in a Facebook post. He mentioned that Volman and Kaylan were examples of advocating for musicians’ rights to own their recordings and band names. They eventually recovered control of The Turtles’ music and name and began touring once 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.
Sejal Govindarao contributed from Phoenix.
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