Mark Volman, founding member of 'The Turtle's and the voice behind 'Happy Together,' dies at 78

Turtles co-founder Mark Volman, known for 1960s pop hits, passed away at 78 in Nashville after illness.

Mark Volman, co-founder of the iconic 1960s pop group The Turtles and known for his contributions to the chart-topping hit “Happy Together,” died on Friday in Nashville following a brief and unexpected illness. He was 78. His death was confirmed by family members.

Volman, who revealed in 2023 that he had been living with Lewy body dementia since 2020, continued to perform for several years after his diagnosis, notably participating in the annual “Happy Together” nostalgia tours.

Born in Los Angeles on April 19, 1947, Volman began singing with Howard Kaylan during their high school years. Together, they formed The Turtles, who broke into the music scene in 1965 with a cover of Bob Dylan’s “It Ain’t Me Babe.” The group went on to release a string of pop hits throughout the late ’60s, including “You Baby,” “She’d Rather Be with Me,” “Elenore,” “She’s My Girl,” and “You Showed Me.”

Their most famous track, “Happy Together,” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1967 and remained there for three weeks. It also charted in the Top 10 internationally, including the UK. The Turtles made frequent appearances on TV variety shows and earned nine U.S. Top 30 singles in total.

After The Turtles disbanded, Volman and Kaylan reinvented themselves as Flo & Eddie in 1970, bringing their humor and vocal talents to new projects. They joined Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention and provided backing vocals on major hits like T. Rex’s “Bang a Gong (Get It On)” and Bruce Springsteen’s “Hungry Heart.” The duo even wrote for the animated series Strawberry Shortcake and were recently credited on Camila Cabello’s 2024 single “I Luv It,” which sampled “Keep It Warm.”

Later in life, Volman earned college degrees and became a respected music business professor at institutions including Belmont University. In 2023, he published his memoir, Happy Forever.

Volman is survived by his partner Emily Volman, his ex-wife Pat, daughters Hallie and Sarina, and his brother Phil. His longtime bandmate Howard Kaylan retired in 2018, leaving Volman as the last original Turtles member to tour until 2025.