Mark Tulin, bassist with the The Electric Prunes and more recently with the Smashing Pumpkins has passed away at the age of 62.
According to the USC Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber, a marine medical association Tulin volunteered for, he died on Saturday (February 26). He is said to have collapsed after taking part in an operation for the association in the town of Avalon, California.
Tulin played in The Electric Prunes throughout the 1960s and again during their reunion in 2001. The band were regarded as pioneers of psychedelic rock and are often cited as one of defining bands of the 1960s.
Tulin joined the Smashing Pumpkins in 2009 after then bassist Ginger Pooley left the band. He contributed bass parts to the band’s album ‘Teargarden By Kaleidyscope’ and played live once with the band.
Smashing Pumpkins singer Billy Corgan paid tribute to Tulin in a lengthy blog post on Glittercop.blogpsot.com. He described Tulin as “a truly a great, sympathetic musician” and added, “God bless you, Mark, you will always be a star.”
Tulin‘s association with the USC Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber came as he was a trained deep sea diver. He volunteered in a clean up operations throughout California.