Mark Volman, founding member of the ’60s pop-rock band The Turtles, has been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, he revealed in an interview with PEOPLE.
Volman, 76, received the diagnosis back in 2020 after experiencing the neurological disorder’s trademark symptoms like intense hallucinations, lapsed thinking and speech, and tremors, among others. Still, Volman is determined to live life to the fullest extent he can, having been on tour since May. The Turtles headline the ’60s revival tour “Happy Together,” named after their hit single, every year — something Volman doesn’t want to stop any time soon.
“Right now, for me, it’s not scary, although it probably should be,” Volman said in the interview. “I got hit by the knowledge that this was going to create a whole new part of my life. And I said, ‘OK, whatever’s going to happen will happen, but I’ll go as far as I can.’”
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The “Happy Together” tour is currently on an east coast run of dates, with stops in Rochester, Staten Island, and Atlantic City.
Additionally, Volman has a memoir titled Happy Forever coming out June 20th, featuring myriad stories of times shared with artists like Frank Zappa, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and Bruce Springsteen.
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