Mark Volman’s Hits and Humor
Mark Volman ’97, MFA ’99 wasn’t your typical student when he transferred to LMU from L.A. Valley College. For one, he was already in his mid 40s. For another, Volman had already lived the rock ’n’ roll life that other students might have dreamt of doing. The singer, who died Sept. 5, 2025, at the age of 78, co-founded The Turtles, who scored a chart-topping hit with “Happy Together” in 1967, and spent much of the 1970s and 1980s as half of the duo Flo & Eddie. But, Volman’s time at LMU would set the stage for his third act, as an educator.
Born in Los Angeles in 1947, Volman was raised in Westchester and graduated from Westchester High School in 1965, the same year that The Turtles released their first single, a cover of Bob Dylan’s song “It Ain’t Me Babe.”
“After I graduated high school, we were immediately thrown into the music business, and I never had a chance to see what I could do academically,” Volman wrote in his 2023 memoir “Happy Forever: My Musical Adventures with The Turtles, Frank Zappa, T. Rex, Flo & Eddie, and More.”
As it turned out, Volman excelled in both his academics and extracurriculars. Outside of class, he was active in LMU’s concert choir.
“When he initially auditioned for the concert choir, I realized he was coming from a totally different style of singing,” says Mary Breden, professor emerita of music in the LMU College of Communication and Fine Arts. “I could hear that there was a basic voice there and felt I could work with it, molding it into a voice that could blend within the ensemble sound. I am sure there were moments when he was in shock, looking at a more complicated musical score than he had been accustomed to, singing in a variety of languages, needing to match vocal quality with the other voices, singing in formal concerts rather than ‘shows.’”
In addition to singing with the choir, Volman worked with Richard Trame, S.J., to mix and produce “A Christmas Gala with the Loyola Marymount University Choruses,” a selection of pieces from the 1996 holiday concert, which was released on CD through the label Laserlight the following year.
Read: L.A.’s Greatest Gigs
Volman was valedictorian when he graduated in 1997 and immediately went on to pursue his graduate studies in screenwriting at LMU, which he completed two years later. He also began teaching a course in music business, sharing with students the kind of lessons you can only learn with real world experience.
The Turtles existed during a significant shift in the music industry. While they had success with a slew of singles, the band struggled as listeners transitioned from AM pop radio to FM album-oriented stations at the end of the 1960s. They broke up in 1970 and, amidst several law suits in which the band was embroiled, the musicians learned that they couldn’t perform under their own names. Volman and bandmate Howard Kaylan reconvened as the duo Flo & Eddie. They played in Frank Zappa’s band, the Mothers of Invention, sang backup on recordings by T. Rex and released their own albums. Eventually, they were able to win back their rights and The Turtles masters, which led to reissues, licensing opportunities, and touring.
“I always appreciated how honest he was about everything. He was very frank and sarcastic without being harsh,” says Melissa McAllister ’02, who took both Volman’s music business and history of pop music classes. “He had a lot of anecdotes and good stories, and it felt refreshing to have a teacher like that. His class was never boring, and you could always ask him questions after class or around campus.”
Volman’s anecdotes also lent a historical perspective to his lectures. “Some of the specific stories that really stood out to me were the ones that fit the history of the L.A. music scene into a different context for me,” says Andy Saldana ’01. “What I knew about the music of The Turtles would never have led me to believe that they were good friends with The Doors. But hearing Mark’s stories about the two bands hanging out at dive bars kind of put the evolution of music that was happening at the time into a different perspective for me. Despite significant musical stylistic differences, the two groups were contemporaries and had a lot in common.”
Volman ultimately left Los Angeles for Tennessee, where he taught at Belmont University from 2005 through 2019 and coordinated the school’s Entertainment Industry Studies program. While he only taught at LMU for a handful of years, the pop star-turned-professor certainly made an impact. “Now when I read about artists not owning their masters or label troubles, I always chuckle and think, ‘They should have taken Volman’s class,’” says McAllister.
“Mark was aware of the impact he had on people around him,” says Breden. “He was kind to everyone he met, generous with his time, caring about the welfare of fellow students. He brought much joy to the room with his humor and his genuine love for life.”
Liz Ohanesian ’99 is a Los Angeles-baed journalist and DJ. Her work has appeared in Hi-Fructose, LAist, Los Angeles Magazine, and a number of other publications.
Some Hits by The Turtles
“Happy Together,” Billboard Hot 100, No. 1
“She’d Rather Be With Me,” Billboard Hot 100, No. 3
“Elenore,” Billboard Hot 100, No. 6
“It Ain’t Me Babe,” Billboard Hot 100, No. 8
“She’s My Girl,” Billboard Hot 100, No. 14
“You Baby,” Billboard Hot 100, No. 20