The Turtles were one of the most unprecedented bands of the swinging psychedelic sixties. Despite the accustomed music biz entanglements with management and record executives (White Whale records) the group's aptitude for creating idealistic feel-good music pacified millions during turbulent times. The Turtles have sold over 60-million records worldwide and remain a mainstay on classic hits radio. They generated countless Top 40 radio classics. "It Ain't Me Babe" "Happy Together" "She'd Rather Be With Me" "You Baby" "Elenore" "She's My Girl" and "You Showed Me" are just a few of their continual string of chart topping hits.

 

After The Turtles disbanded in 1970, Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan became members of Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention. The tenacious duo went on the road as Flo & Eddie, then became radio stars, and continued as session's players for legendary performers like John Lennon, Marc Bolan and T. Rex, Stephen Stills, Keith Moon, Alice Cooper, Bruce Springsteen, Blondie, Duran Duran and The Ramones to name just a few.

At the age of 44, Mark Volman decided to go back to school. In 1997, he graduated Magna Cum Laude and Valedictorian at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. While touring and teaching at LMU, he finished his Masters in Fine Arts with an emphasis in Film Studies and Screenwriting. Mark is now Professor Volman and Coordinator of the Entertainment Industry Studies program at Belmont University in the Mike Curb School of Entertainment and Music Business.

 

The Happy Together Tour 2011 will be unpacking and setting up for a terrific show on July 19th at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater. Headlining this year's tour is -The Turtles featuring Flo & Eddie. Other legendary performers on the tour are -The Association("Windy" "Cherish" "Along Comes Mary"), The Grassroots, ("Let's Live for Today" "Midnight Confessions") The Buckinghams("Kind of a Drag" "Don't You Care" "Susan") and Mark Lindsay former lead singer of Paul Revere & the Raiders ("Kicks" "Just Like Me" "Good Thing" "Indian Reservation" "Arizona").

 

I was able to speak with Mark Volman and Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere & the Raiders courtesy of Jeff Albright from the Albright Entertainment Group. Here's my interview with Professor Mark Volman of The Turtles/Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention.

 

Professor Volman, thank you for spending some time with me today. I think it was admirable that you went back to school after a brilliant career in show biz.

 

"I'd never imagine that it would end up the way it has. I didn't have a plan to do it that way, I think once I got into school everybody sort of pointed me in that direction. The University pointed me in that direction in terms of realizing the possibilities of being able to do it because the school was open for it. That really kind of opened the door with that opportunity and at that point, I finished my Bachelor's degree and was approached by the Dean at one of the LA Universities who said that they would really like me to teach there but I would need to have a Masters. I was really excited about teaching there so I made the commitment to continue with my Masters and with that commitment I was allowed to teach as long as I was going for my Masters."

 

You went back to school when you were around 45 years old right Mark?

"I think so, because I graduated with my Bachelor's degree in 1997 and I was 50. It took me about four and half years to finish my Bachelor's degree. And then I did two years of Masters."

 

You were also class Valedictorian correct?

"That was totally a shock. I was a Valedictorian in 1997; I graduated on the Dean's list for four years and I was actually Magna Cum Laude, then I was Alpha Sigma Nu, which is the Jesuit equivalent of Phi Beta Kappa, there's only 4% of a graduating class that makes that, so I think there was two of us in our graduating class. And all of that was quite a shock to me because I had done so poorly in high school.

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