The Turtles co-founder, vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Mark Volman (76) revealed in an interview with People that he was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia.
Lewy body dementia (LBD) is a disease associated with abnormal deposits of a protein called alpha-synuclein in the brain. These deposits, called Lewy bodies, affect chemicals in the brain whose changes, in turn, can lead to problems with thinking, movement, behavior, and mood. It is one of the most common causes of dementia and affects more than 1 million people in the United States.
The Turtles vocalist Mark Volman talked about being diagnosed with dementia
“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.’”
The musician explained that he noticed something was wrong back in 2018. “I remember slurring, and I wasn’t sure what was going on,” he recalled. “My brain wandered. I’d go off track. It made no sense.”
Meanwhile, the musician continues to tour as The Turtles across the United States. He has scheduled dates this June, July, August and September. He is performing all the band’s 60s hits like: “It Ain’t Me, Babe”, “Happy Together”, “Elenore”, “Happy Together” and “She’d Rather Be With Me”.
Next The Turtles tour dates
June
- 16 – Staten Island, NY – St. George Theater
- 17 – Lancaster, PA – American Music Theatre
- 18 – Lowell, MA Lowell – Memorial Auditorium
- 20 – Alexandria, VA – The Birchmere
- 21 – Glenside, PA – Keswick Theatre
- 22 – Union Hall, VA – Coves Amphitheater
July
- 8 – Coachella, CA – Spotlight 29 Casino
- 9 – Beverly Hills, CA – Saban Theatre
- 11 – San Deigo, CA – Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay
- 12 – Prescott Valley, AZ – Findlay Toyota Center
- 13 – Ojai, CA – The Libbey Bowl
- 14 – Scottsdale, AZ – Talking Stick Resort
- 15 – Las Vegas, NV – The Smith Center
- 16 – Costa Mesa, CA – Pacific Amphitheater
- 27 – Red Bank, NJ – Count Basie Theatre
- 28 – Atlantic City, NJ – Ocean Casino Resort- Ovation Hall
- 29 – Wallingford, CT – Oakdale Theatre
- 30 – Lynn, MA – Lynn Auditorium
August
- 1 – Albany, NY – Palace Theater
- 2 – Utica, NY – Stanley Performing Arts Center
- 3 – Rochester, NY – Kodak Center
- 4 – Greensburg, PA – Palace Theater
- 5 – Owensboro, KY – RiverPark Center
- 6 – Northfield, OH – MGM Northfield Park
- 8 – Wabash, IN – Honeywell Center
- 9 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
- 10 – Kettering, OH – Fraze Pavilion For The Perf. Arts
- 11 – New Buffalo, MI – Four Winds Casino Resort
- 12 – Manistee, MI – Little River Casino Resort
- 13 – Aurora, IL – Paramount Theatre
- 15 – Appleton, WI – Fox Cities PAC
- 17 – Milwaukee, WI – Pabst Theater
- 18 – Waukegan, IL – Genesee Theater
- 19 – St. Charles, MO – Family Arena
- 20 Pe-oria, IL – Peoria Civic Center Theater
- 22 – Louisville, KY – Kentucky State Fairgrounds
- 23 – Effingham, IL – Effingham Performance Center
- 24 – Shipshewana, IN – Blue Gate Performing Arts Center
- 25 – Wisconsin Dells, WI – Crystal Grand Music Theatre
- 27 – Deadwood, SD – Deadwood Mountain Grand
- 28 – St. Paul, MN – MN State Fairgrounds
- 29 – Fish Creek, WI – Door Community Auditorium
- 30 – Wausau, WI – The Grand Theater
- 31 – Des Moines, IA – Hoyt Sherman Palace
September
- 1 – Omaha, NE – Holland Center