Mark Volman, who was a founding member of the 1960s rock band The Turtles, has passed away at the age of 78, PEOPLE reports.
The outlet received a statement from Volman’s reps saying that he passed away on Sept. 5 after a “brief, unexpected illness” in Nashville, Tenn.
Volman is survived by his significant other Emily Volman, his ex-wife, Pat Volman, his brother, Phil Volman, along with his children, Hallie Volman and Sarina Miller.
Tributes Pour In For To Mark Volman
“We’ve lost our Flo. Rest in Peace Mark Volman,” publicist Danny Deraney wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Such an incredible talent with The Turtles and The Mothers of Invention. Mark could play almost any instrument and without a doubt is the prototype of being the original hype man in modern music.
“Aye, that’s a sad one. The Turtles brought joy to so many with their tunes—now that’s a legacy worth singing about. Cheers to the good times, Mark!,” one fan wrote.
“Sad to hear about the passing of my friend Mark Volman. I’ll always remember his humor & voice with the Turtles. Here’s a 70s photo from a tennis charity event — me, Olivia Newton-John, Keith Moon, and Mark. Sending love and condolences to Mark’s family, friends, and fans,” musician and actor Micky Dolenz said.
Mark Volman Revealed He Was Diagnosed With Lewy Body Dementia in 2023 Interview
In 2023, Volman opened up about being diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, which causes “decline in mental abilities that gradually gets worse over time. People with LBD might see things that aren’t there, known as visual hallucinations. They also may have changes in alertness and attention,” according to the Mayo Clinic.
He was first diagnosed in 2020 and sat down with PEOPLE in 2023 to open up about how this has changed his life.
“I got hit by the knowledge that this was going to create a whole new part of my life,” Volman said. “And I said, ‘OK, whatever’s going to happen will happen, but I’ll go as far as I can.’ ”
Volman continued to perform on the “Happy Together tour,” which is an annual ’60s music fest.
“The challenges of this world affect everybody, and it’s been kind of fun being on the other side of a challenge like this and saying, ‘I feel good.’ My friends are here. I’m still here. And I want people to connect with me,” he told the outlet.
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