Mark Volman of The Turtles, 'Happy Together' singer, dies

Mark Volman , co-founder of the American band The Turtles and singer of the 1967 hit 'Happy Together', one of the most famous songs in the history of pop, which has been played in countless films, weddings and all kinds of celebrations around the world for almost sixty years, died this Friday at the age of 78.

The artist has died after a brief and unexpected illness in Nashville, Tennessee, a representative for the artist told People magazine. Volman was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia in 2020, a progressive neurological disorder that causes hallucinations, tremors, and difficulty concentrating. But he didn't reveal his condition until 2023, when he wrote his lengthy memoir, "Happy Forever: My Musical Adventures With The Turtles, Frank Zappa, T. Rex, Flo & Eddie, and More."

Born in Los Angeles in 1947, Volman began playing music and performing at an early age. After graduating from Westchester High School in 1965, he founded the group The Turtles with Howard Kaylan, lead guitarist Al Nichol, rhythm guitarist Jim Tucker, bassist Chuck Portz, and drummer Don Murray.

They had their first hits with 'Elenore' and a cover of Bob Dylan's 'It Ain't Me Babe', but it wasn't until 1967 that they achieved international fame with 'Happy Together', which reached number one in the US charts . It was the band's first major hit in Britain, where it peaked at number 12, and also became a Top 10 hit in Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore and Spain.

The Turtles disbanded in 1970, leading Volman and Kaylan to form Flo & Eddie. As a musical duo, they toured with Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention and created background tracks for artists ranging from T. Rex (on 'Bang a Gong (Get It On)') to Bruce Springsteen ('Hungry Heart'). They also created music for television, notably for the children's series 'Strawberry Shortcake'.

As he approached 50, Volman returned to college to complete his bachelor's degree at Loyola Marymount University. He graduated in 1997 and then earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1999. He then began teaching music business classes at universities, most notably at Belmont University in Nashville.

When she received her dementia diagnosis, Volman said, “I realized this was going to be a radical change in my life. And I said, ‘OK, whatever happens, I’m going to do the best I can.’ The challenges of this world affect us all, and it’s been fun to be on the other side of a challenge like this and say, ‘I feel good.’ My friends are here. I’m still here. And I want people to connect with me.”

On medication to control his tremors and hallucinations, Volman continued to perform on the Happy Together tour, an annual 1960s music festival headlined by Volman and The Turtles (without Kaylan, who has since stopped touring due to health issues).