News broke on Friday, September 5, that Mark Volman, the co-founder and lead singer of The Turtles, died in Nashville at the age of 78 after a “brief, sudden illness,” according to Variety.
Micky Dolenz, a contemporary of Volman’s from the 1960s and the last surviving member of the band The Monkees, took to Instagram to remember his dear friend and mourn Volman’s passing.
Dolenz posted a rather amazing photo of himself and Volman together alongside fellow musicians Keith Moon and Olivia Newton-John. Dolenz shared that the photo was from a charity tennis event. He also shared a photo of a group of famous artists in matching “V” shirts and wrote that he and Volman were part of “the Hollywood Vampires softball team.”
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“Sad to hear about the passing of my friend Mark Volman,” writes Dolenz. “We had a lot of great times over the years, and I’ll always remember his humor, kindness, and that incredible voice that helped give us so many timeless songs with the Turtles.”
“I’ll always remember his humor, kindness, and that incredible voice.” — Micky Dolenz
“Here’s a photo from the 70s at a charity tennis event — that’s me, Olivia Newton-John, Keith Moon, and Mark. Also, a pic of the Hollywood Vampires softball team. Fond memories of a very special time. Sending love and condolences to Mark’s family, friends, and fans,” Dolenz continued.
In the comments, a fan named Greg Wolf replied to Dolenz, “So sorry for your loss of your friend Micky. RIP Mark. 💔.”
Another fan named Lori Citero-Bunker added, “Met Mr Vollmer many times…Very sad news…Rest Well Mark…you are loved and will be so missed 😢❤️.”
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Dolenz is the last man standing from the group The Monkees, which got its start on the eponymous NBC sitcom. They were such a hit that they became a real band and released several albums and toured together even after the show was cancelled in 1968.
Lead singer Davy Jones died in 2012, and bassist Peter Tork died in 2019. In 2021, drummer Dolenz and guitarist Michael Nesmith went on a farewell tour, and Nesmith tragically passed away from heart failure just weeks after the tour concluded, leaving Dolenz as the last surviving member of the group.
Dolenz is also the last surviving member of the photo he shared on Instagram. Volman died today, singer and Grease star Newton-John died in August 2022, and Moon, drummer for The Who, tragically died from an accidental overdose in 1978 at the age of just 32.
This story was originally reported by Parade on Sep 5, 2025, where it first appeared in the Celebs section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.