Turtles Co-Founder Mark Volman Dies at 78

Mark Volman, co-founder of the seminal 1960s pop-rock band The Turtles, has died at 78.

Announcing the news on Facebook, his attorney Evan Cohen stated, “I’m saddened to share that my longtime friend and client, Mark Volman of The Turtles and Flo & Eddie (and former member of the Mothers of Invention), passed away at 78. Together with Howard Kaylan, he pioneered legal efforts that shaped musicians’ rights—impacting sampling regulations and securing protections under the Music Modernization Act.”

In 2020, Volman revealed in an exclusive with People that he had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia. Reflecting on his journey, he said, “Learning of this diagnosis marked the beginning of a new chapter. I decided to embrace whatever comes next and go as far as I can.”

Alongside Kaylan, Volman steered The Turtles through a golden era in the late ’60s, scoring 17 Billboard Hot 100 entries and five top-10 hits.

The band’s signature anthem “Happy Together” dominated the chart at No. 1 for three weeks in 1967. Their debut hit was a rock reinterpretation of Bob Dylan’s “It Ain’t Me Babe,” which climbed to No. 8 in 1965.

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