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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Mark Volman, the singer and guitarist who co-founded the Turtles with Howard Kaylan, died in Nashville on September 5, 2025, at age 78. His publicist described his illness as “brief, unexpected.” Reports did not identify a more specific cause of death.
What was reported about Mark Volman’s death?
The Associated Press reported Volman’s death on September 7, 2025, citing his publicist, Ame Van Iden; the Los Angeles Times also reported it on September 5. Both placed his death in Nashville and gave his age as 78. The publicist’s description of a “brief, unexpected” illness is the only reported detail about the illness preceding his death; the coverage does not establish a specific medical cause.
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SAVE THE TURTLES: TURTLES GREATEST HITS | $10.74 | Buy on Amazon |
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ALL THE SINGLES | $18.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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The Turtles: 20 Greatest Hits | $40.70 | Buy on Amazon |
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Save The Turtles: The Turtles Greatest Hits by The Turtles (2009-04-21) | $19.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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Happy Together: The Very Best of The Turtles | $22.00 | Buy on Amazon |
Volman had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia in 2020 and disclosed the diagnosis publicly in 2023. That diagnosis is distinct from the publicist’s description of his final illness; the available reports do not say dementia caused his death.
How Mark Volman helped make the Turtles
Volman and high-school friend Howard Kaylan first performed together in the Crossfires. After signing with White Whale Records, the group became the Turtles. Their 1965 version of Bob Dylan’s “It Ain’t Me Babe” reached the Billboard Top 10, and “Happy Together” became their signature hit in 1967.
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The Turtles’ best-known songs
- “Happy Together”
- “She’d Rather Be With Me”
- “Elenore”
- “You Showed Me”
Volman later described the effect of “Happy Together” in an interview during the band’s 2011 tour: “That one song changed our entire future forever.”
Why Volman and Kaylan became Flo & Eddie
The Turtles disbanded in 1970 amid conflict with White Whale Records. A contract clause barred Volman and Kaylan from performing under the Turtles’ name or their own names, so they adopted the stage identities Flo and Eddie. They joined Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention and also worked as harmony singers and collaborators, including on recordings associated with T. Rex and Bruce Springsteen.
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- Alle Singles
- ABIS_MUSIC
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Volman recalled the humor of that period in a 2023 interview with GRAMMY.com: “I think our sense of humor was let loose when we joined Frank’s group.” Volman and Kaylan later regained control of the Turtles’ music and name and resumed touring as the group.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Volman’s later life: teaching, touring and memoir
As an adult, Volman returned to college, earned a master’s degree and began teaching music business at Belmont University in Nashville in 2005. After publicly disclosing his Lewy body dementia diagnosis in 2023, he continued performing on Happy Together tours.
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His 2023 memoir, Happy Forever: My Musical Adventures with the Turtles, Frank Zappa, T. Rex, Flo & Eddie, and More, recounts his musical career in his own words.
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