Yes, it was inevitable, as we all knew it was coming, but it was still some VERY sad news regarding the passing of Mark Volman of The Turtles on Friday (9/5)
Volman supplied impeccable harmonies (and comic relief) for The Turtles for the past 65 years. He disclosed health issues a couple of years ago in “People Magazine” just prior to the release of his book “Happy Forever: My Musical Adventures With The Turtles, Frank Zappa, T. Rex, Flo and Eddie, and More” and has been missing in action during this year’s Happy Together Tour, sidelined from the stage but still often traveling with the other bands for two-way moral support. Ron Dante, who was a Cuff Link, an Archie and a Detergent during The Turtles’ hit era, has been substituting on the tour for years now for Howard Kaylan, Volman’s musical partner since they met in high school and formed the surf band The Crossfires back in 1963, stepped away from the road. Dante handles the lead vocals and this year he’s been joined by back-up band leader Godrey Townsend handling the backing vocals in Mark’s absence. (Kaylan retired in 2018 due to his own health issues.)
Volman was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia (LBD), a progressive neurological disorder, in 2020 after experiencing hallucinations, tremors and struggles with concentration for several years. Ironically, Mark's cause of death was NOT due to the LBD but rather due to a very recent blood disease.
This set back does not spell the end of The Happy Together Tour … in fact, plans for the 2026 edition had already been in the works for some time now. Still, it is a shame that neither of the principal members will be out there representing the band. The show will now go on as a tribute to The Music Of The Turtles. (See their Hit List below)
THE TURTLES HIT LIST
|
1965 |
It Ain't Me Babe |
7 |
|
1965 |
Let Me Be |
25 |
|
1966 |
You Baby |
15 |
|
1967 |
Happy Together |
1 |
|
1967 |
She'd Rather Be With Me |
1 |
|
1967 |
You Know What I Mean |
12 |
|
1967 |
She's My Girl |
14 |
|
1968 |
Sound Asleep |
30 |
|
1968 |
The Story Of Rock And Roll |
36 |
|
1968 |
Elenore |
5 |
|
1969 |
You Showed Me |
1 |
The history of the duo (aka Flo and Eddie and providing background vocals for hundreds of other recordings and projects … everything from Bruce Springsteen to Frank Zappa and Strawberry Shortcake) is well known and documented. Volman (aka Professor Flo!) also went on to teach music business courses at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennesee.
We received several photos from FH Readers to share with others.
Here are just a few:
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I took this picture of Frannie with Howard and Mark (she provided the filling to their Turtle Sandwich) at a Happy Together appearance several years ago in Aurora, IL. (Howard left us tickets and backstage passes for this one – and we had the chance to clown around backstage after the show for quite a while. Frannie even snagged a kiss from Mark Lindsay that night.)
And here are a few shots taken by the one and only Henry Diltz … provided by Gary Strobl at The Diltz Archives …
And again ... it hurts!
Shelley
You know, once upon a time, I thought it would be so cool to get to know some of my favorite musicians and learn from them about their songs, talk to them about their lives, read the books they wrote and sit in the audience a multitude of times just enjoying their performances. But saying good-bye hurts so much more.
I don't regret anything. They have added so much to my happiness.
This is the best article I've found …
https://people.com/musician-mark-volman-had-big-smile-even-at-end-exclusive-11804667#comments
Betcha Sirius / XM was playing plenty of Turtles music this weekend. (kk)
Mark Volman Dead: Turtles Co-Founder, Singer on Happy Together Was 78
Sad, but -- we come, we do, we go ...
Timmy
From Harvey Kubernik …
I first encountered Mark in 1959 ...
Harvey Kubernik: As you and Howard know, as a teenager I saw the Turtles quite often during 1965-1968. I was just blown away listening again to “The Story of Rock & Roll.” The pure joy, exuberance and fun on display. I also suggest the influence and impact of this performance can be attributed years earlier to all those 10-cent hamburgers at Hamburger Handout and the 19-cent tacos you, me and Howard as kids devoured in 1959 and into the mid-sixties at Airport Village food court in Culver City.
Mark Volman: I still dream of those tacos once a week …
If you’d like a copy of Harvey’s Mark Volman piece (too long to run here), send me an email and I’ll send it along. (kk)
A true classic video clip ...
Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan discussing their less than perfect history of managers ...
We also got news last week that Tom Shipley, one half of the Brewer and Shipley duo who scored Top 40 Hits with “One Toke Over The Line” and “Tarkio Road,” has died. (Of course the DEFINITIVE version of “One Toke” was performed on “The Lawrence Welk Show” way back when! Lol)
Shipley passed away back on August 24th but the news just began to circulate this week. His partner, Mike Brewer, died last year. No cause of death was announced. (kk)
We also got word from Tom Cuddy about some emergency leg surgery that Dionne Warwick needed, forcing her to cancel a few shows …
“As most of you may know, I’ve had to cancel a few shows due to emergency leg surgery. I’m doing okay, do not worry! I need some show/movie recommendations while on the mend … not Emily in Paris. Love you all.”
On Tuesday, September 2nd, Warwick posted on Instagram that she was forced to cancel her upcoming performance due to leg pain.
“The last thing I expected was to have surgery the day I was to fly to London. Pain was unbearable and my doctor rushed me into surgery thank goodness, as it could’ve resulted in something far worse.”
I imagine this pain was making it much more difficult for her to walk on by. (But in all seriousness, shouldn’t her Psychic Network of Friends warned her about this before it got this far???) kk
More here: https://www.eonline.com/news/1422096/dionne-warwicks-emergency-leg-surgery-recovery-update
A few weeks ago we told you about a new lawsuit filed against Priscilla Presley for continuing to use her name in conjunction with Elvis and Graceland, despite having sold those rights (when she was in the middle of a financial crunch) several years ago.
Well, now her granddaughter, Riley Keough, is commenting on this, stating that she stopped her mother (Lisa Marie Presley) from filing yet another suit against her own mother shortly before Lisa Marie’s death in 2023, all part of an amended lawsuit submitted earlier this week in Los Angeles Superior Court and obtained by “People Magazine.”
From “People”’s report, “The message, labeled Exhibit 36, is presented as evidence that Lisa Marie was preparing litigation against Priscilla shortly before her death, and that Keough personally intervened to prevent it.” It goes on to say that Keough’s legal team "sprang into action to prevent Priscilla’s financial ruin and public embarrassment." The filing further describes Priscilla as a “calculated sociopath and master of deception, who has lived off of and exploited the ‘Presley’ name for her own personal gain.” It accuses Priscilla of fraud, breach of contract, misappropriation of name and likeness, and intentional interference with contract and prospective economic advantage. It includes dozens of exhibits, including a personal message Keough, 36, allegedly sent to her grandmother after Lisa Marie Presley’s death in January, 2023, which reads in part:
"Unfortunately, Nona as you are taking me to court, I am being forced to defend my mother’s wishes legally and publicly, which would not have been my choice. It is really hurtful that after years of me trying to resolve your and my mother’s broken relationship and restore our family, you are taking me, of all people, to court.
"I have protected you from lawsuits from my mother, often advocating for you and always tried to keep everyone operating out of love," the letter reads. "Even a few weeks before my mother passed, she wanted to sue you again and you called me for help. I advised her so strongly against it, which resulted in a fight between me and her. But as you know, she chose to listen to me and not sue you."
Keough goes on to say that Priscilla "ignored her pleas, manipulating her with claims that she ‘loved’ her and they ‘needed to be a family.’" (kk)
The letter Jim Roup posted last week read, in part:
The combination of the Beatles’ voices and personalities with their caricatured antics give promise that this will be one of the most interesting young people's series ever introduced, according to ABC-TV Research.
Their research, if you've ever done a deep dive into the series, was a laugh and a half. King Features never consulted with Brian Epstein, never considered using the actual lads' voices, and just licensed the recordings from EMI.
Bob Frable
Yep, a little bit of creative hard selling going on here! (lol) kk
Bruce Springsteen’s “Nebraska” album is being re-released as a special collectors’ 4-CD box set with ALL kinds of extras, outtakes and electric interpretations of the songs.
More details here: https://theseconddisc.com/2025/09/04/bruce-springsteen-nebraska-box-electric/
Look for an expanded, 50th Anniversary edition of Elton John’s “Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy,” too …
https://theseconddisc.com/2025/09/04/elton-john-captain-fantastic-50th-anniversary-deluxe-edition/
Our FH Buddy Harvey Kubernik also has a piece currently running in “Music Connection” celebrating the birthday of Freddie Mercury.
Jim Roup sent us this pic just for fun ...
Joe Flynn and cast members of "McHale's Navy" TV show do a takeoff of some band?
One of our readers, who has asked to remain anonymous, has approached me with some very unique items that he is looking to sell … so I agreed to post the listings here to see if there was any interest. If so, please drop me a note along with your offer and I’ll see if I can help broker the deal.
Available for purchase are:
A Platinum Record Award for Madonna’s Debut Album
A Platinum Record Award for Madonna’s “Who’s That Girl” Album (photo not available)
An acetate pressing of Ringo Starr’s “It Don’t Come Easy” single
A Gold Record Award for Run DMC’s debut album
A Gold Record Award for DMC’s second album “King Of Rock”
Platinum Record Awards for Debbie Gibson’s “Out of the Blue” album (two are available)
A sealed copy of The Monkees’ “50th Anniversary” CD (FIVE are available)
A sealed copy of the Monkees First Season 6-DVD box set
The Monkees Season Two 6-DVD set (with the 3-D cover)
Sealed 4 CD set of Rhino’s Monkees Headquarters box set (photo not available)
I am adding a few things to this list as well, as these are items that I was going to list on eBay but will first offer here to our readers …
Two FTD (Follow That Dream) collector’s Elvis CD’s, rare and out of print and hard to get (typically selling for big bucks on auction on eBay but I will consider all offers)
Elvis Presley: The Girl Happy Sessions (3-CD Set, sealed)
Elvis: The Last Movies (sealed soundtrack recordings from “Charro,” “The Trouble With Girls (And How To Get Into It)” and “Change Of Habit” – one CD, sealed (and very rare and hard to get)
If you’re not familiar with the FTD series, these are beautifully packaged sets featuring MANY takes of the songs that make up the soundtracks to these films. If you ARE familiar with the FTD series, maybe these titles are on your “Want List”
Two FTD collectors’ books … “Jailhouse Rock” and “King Creole,” long considered to be two of Elvis’ finest movies. These are both BEAUTIFUL coffee table books, covering “frame by frame” photos as well as extensive commentary on the making of these two films. Both are unsealed, brand new copies, and very difficult to find.
The Beatles Stereo Albums Box … still sealed. The set includes all 13 of their original studio albums, digitally remastered in stereo, along with “Past Masters,” a 2-CD set containing all of their non-album singles and EP tracks. Each album contains deluxe packaging with expanded booklets and a mini-documentary dvd.
While this isn’t something we normally do (in the way of providing this service), it DID work out very well for a HUGE collection of radio air checks a short while back, many of which aired as part of the last two annual WLS / WCFL Rewound Labor Weekend specials on Rewound Radio … so let’s see if there’s any interest out there! Email me at kk@forgottenhits.com if interested. (kk)
