Obituaries: Remembering Mark Volman of The Turtles, Flo & Eddie

Mark Randall Volman, a vocalist, songwriter and academic best known for his work in The Turtles and Flo & Eddie, died on Sept. 5, at age 78, after a battle with Lewy body dementia since 2020.

Volman's death was confirmed in a statement shared on Facebook by his lawyer Evan Cohen. It said, "I am sorry to report that my long-time friend and client, Mark Volman of The Turtles and Flo & Eddie (and a couple of years in the Mothers of Invention), has died at the age of 78. Mark and bandmate Howard Kaylan stepped up and set an example for decades, standing up for the rights of musicians in various legal actions, which had a great impact on the progression of the law in several different areas (including sampling, and the eventual protection of 60s recordings under the Music Modernization Act).”

A Billboard obituary noted that alongside fellow band founder Howard Kaylan, Volman helped lead The Turtles through a prosperous career in the late 1960s, where the band released a number of hits and secured 17 entries on the Billboard Hot 100, including five top 10s. Their breakout came in 1965 with a cover of Bob Dylan’s "It Ain’t Me Babe," which became their first top 10 after peaking at No. 8. Two years later, the band scored its defining moment with "Happy Together," their sole No. 1, which spent three weeks at the summit in 1967.

"Happy Together" went on to be voted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2007, cementing its legacy. The Turtles’ other top 10 hits on the Hot 100 included "She’d Rather Be With Me," "Elenore" and "You Showed Me," while on the albums chart they broke into the top 10 in February 1968 with The Turtles! Golden Hits.

When the band folded, Volman and Kaylan learned that the terms of their contract forbade them to use not only the name 'The Turtles', but also their own names. As a result, the duo adopted the moniker Flo & Eddie for future work as a rock duo. Volman's pseudonym Flo was short for The Phlorescent Leech.

The pair joined Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention, then performed and recorded as Flo & Eddie. The duo also worked in film, providing music and voices for animated films like Down and Dirty Duck, and in radio broadcasting. In 1971, Volman appeared on the soundtrack to Zappa's humorous pseudo-documentary film, 200 Motels, and he later became a popular radio personality in New York and Los Angeles.

Beginning with 1972's The Phlorescent Leech & Eddie and 1973's Flo & Eddie (produced by Canadian Bob Ezrin), Flo & Eddie released eight albums in the next three decades, with a final album, New York Times, released in 2009.

In one other notable Canadian connection, Volman and Kaylan were semi-regular guests/ Hollywood correspondents on Peter Gzowski's CBC TV show 90 Minutes Live, which was based out of Toronto between 1976-78. To Billboard Canada, Vancouver musician and journalist John Cody, a friend and collaborator with Volman, recalls that "there was one memorable episode where they took Peter into the studio to record his singing 'Happy Together.'" On Facebook, Mick Gzowski posted that "Flo and Eddie were regulars on my dad's tv show 90 Minutes Live. They even did a Canadian 'MacArthur Park' thing where they wrote a song even my dad could sing, and did."

As Flo & Eddie, the pair also became in-demand session background vocalists, working with a highly eclectic list of artists including Bruce Springsteen ("Hungry Heart"), T. Rex, The Ramones, U2, Blondie, Duran Duran, Psychedelic Furs and many more.

In 2015, Kaylan and Volman celebrated their 50th year, touring and performing more than 60 concerts a year, billed as "The Turtles ... Featuring Flo & Eddie" with their Happy Together Tour, a classic revue-format show featuring some popular bands of the mid-to-late 1960s musical era. With Kaylan's retirement due to health issues in 2018, Volman was the last original member of the Turtles who still performed with the band.

In later years, Volman entered academia, graduating with a B.A. degree in 1997 from Loyola Marymount University, followed by a Master's degree in Fine Arts with an emphasis in screenwriting in 1999. Since that time, he had taught Music Business & Industry courses in the Communications and Fine Arts department at Loyola, taught in the Commercial Music Program at Los Angeles Valley College and became an associate professor and coordinator of the Entertainment Industry Studies Program at Belmont University in Nashville. In addition, he offered consulting on music business and entertainment through the website Ask Professor Flo.

Volman's fascinating career in music and film is explored in his autobiography, Happy Forever: My Musical Adventures With The Turtles, Frank Zappa, T. Rex, Flo & Eddie, And More, published in 2023 by Jawbone Press. The book is a collaboration with Canadian John Cody, and in its introduction, Volman explains that “John was responsible for preparing the interviews, conducting the interviews, transcribing the interviews, and editing the interviews. Without John, there is no book.”

Cody posted this tribute on Facebook: "For close to 20 years I was privileged to call Mark Volman a friend. It started when I interviewed him for a feature. He was delighted, claiming I made him look smarter than he was – and he was very smart - and asked if I would write his life story. That led to hundreds of interviews, with him as well as hundreds of his friends, family and acquaintances. It took over a decade to write, and at every step along the way he was a joy to work with, never, ever asking for changes. Two years ago Happy Forever: My Musical Adventures With The Turtles, Frank Zappa, T. Rex, Flo & Eddie, And More was published and we were both thrilled by the reaction. I’m honored to have called him a friend and played a part in sharing his wonderful story."

To Billboard Canada, Cody adds that "Mark lived a storied life, and I'm so glad we got in all down and he could enjoy the book before his condition worsened. It was almost impossible to find anyone that had a bad word to say about him." Check out a recent podcast in which Cody discusses the book in episode 6.

With word of Volman's passing spreading, many Canadian artists posted tributes on social media.

Toronto musician and author (The Canadian Pop Music Encyclopedia) Jaimie Vernon posted a Facebook tribute that reads (in part): "I learned to love Flo & Eddie from the Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention album Live @ The Fillmore East (1971). So when they ventured up to the Nags Head North in 1983, I headed up there with my bandmate Jason Clarke (who indoctrinated me in all things Zappa), not knowing what to expect.

"It was the most fun I've ever had at a club show ever. The duo were on fire - playing the Turtles hits, and regaling everyone with stories which have become legendary in the 'here's what not to do in the music industry' pantheon. Funniest bit was Volman coming out dressed as Jennifer Beals in the (at the time) brand new hit film Flashdance - with full spandex body suit, leg warmers, and head band regalia while the band performed Michael Sambello's 'Maniac.' Volman did the exercise bit. Then had to sit down cause he was clearly out of breath.!

"The night was capped with a special guest appearance with Bob Segarini. A guy I only knew as the Iceman on Q107 at the time. Bob and I would become good friends nearly 20 years later where he told me the stories about how he and Volman and Kaylan became life-long adventurers together. Bob was from California and his bands often performed with The Turtles all over the state in the 1960s. Condolences to Mark's family, friends, and fans all over the world."

Toronto musician/radio host Danny Marks: "Mark Volman was a unique front man with a rare sense of soul and humour. Great rapport with Howard Kaylan. The Turtles records were pop and hip at once. When we saw them as kids we were delighted with the stick twirling drummer. All in all a very talented group. Sad to see Mark shuffle off into the sunset."

Toronto musician/visual artist Kurt Swinghammer: "The Turtles were always a blast to see on TV in the 60’s with their perfect pop and playful mascot Mark Volman looking like the least likely rock star ever. Remaining relevant in the 70’s with Tony Visconti tapping Flo & Eddie for BG’s on the eternally hip T.Rex albums Electric Warrior and Slider, and in Zappa’s Dada trip 200 Motels feature where Flo stole a scene by ripping off his shirt."

Bruce “Loose” Calderwood, the vocalist and bassist for influential San Francisco punk band Flipper, has died from a heart attack. He was 66.

The band confirmed the death on Facebook. A Sept. 5 post on Who Cares Anyway SF reads, “After a prolonged struggle with life, Bruce ‘Loose’ Calderwood of Flipper passed away from an apparent heart attack earlier this week at the age of 66.”

Stereogum reports that "Calderwood fronted the group on all four of their studio albums beginning with 1980’s Album – Generic Flipper, an LP with a heavy, plodding sound hugely influential to bands like Nirvana and Melvins. Kurt Cobain wore a DIY Flipper shirt for Nirvana’s first performance on Saturday Night Live in 1992, as well as in the 'Come As You Are' music video."

Nirvana member Krist Novoselic joined the band from 2006 through 2009, and they often performed Nirvana’s ‘Scentless Apprentice,” which Flipper covered for a 2000 compilation. The group has also been cited as an influence upon R.E.M., the Melvins, Jane’s Addiction and others.

In its obituary, NME reported that "At a time when US punk was moving in a fast-paced, hardcore direction, Flipper stood out for playing heavy and sludgy songs that took their time. Their debut record Album – Generic Flipper became their definitive statement, showing off Calderwood’s distorted basslines and Ted Falconi’s waves of noisy guitar.

"Bruce Loose shared lead vocal duties in the band with Will Shatter, with Loose’s sardonic, sneering style contrasting with Shatter’s flatter, more deadpan style."

Calderwood left the group for good in 2015 due to a back injury and was replaced with Jesus Lizard vocalist David Yow. Flipper remains active.

Tama Lundon, the longtime keyboardist in popular New Zealand reggae band Herbs, has died. His age and cause of death have not been reported.

Former Herbs member Toni Fonoti announced Lundon's death on Facebook in late August, describing his former bandmate as an "amazing, humble person and genius musician".

Lundon was the original keyboard player for the band, which he joined in 1983. He contributed to such best-selling domestic albums as Sensitive to a Smile and Homegrown, and he co-wrote one of Herbs' biggest hits, "Long Ago."

As a member of Herbs, Lundon also collaborated with such top Kiwi artists as Tim Finn, on "Parihaka," Dave Dobbyn (The No. 1 hit "Slice of Heaven") and Annie Crummer ("See What Love Can Do").

Herbs were inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame in 2012. Read an Audioculture profile of the band here.