Donovan

Donovan is a Scottish singer-songwriter who emerged as part of the mid-1960s folk music scene.

He was born Donovan Leitch on 10th May 1946 in Maryhill, Glasgow, Scotland; the family moved to Hatfield, England in 1956. Donovan came to fame in the United Kingdom in early 1965 with a series of live performances on the television pop series, Ready Steady Go!

Donovan first hit the pop charts in 1965 with his single "Catch the Wind". He produced hit after hit throughout the sixties and his Sunshine Superman album was considered an innovative breakthrough to a new psychedelic pop sound. His 1967 double album A Gift From A Flower To A Garden completed the transition from beat poet folkster to hippie troubadour. After splitting with producer Mickie Most after his album Barabajagal, his career struggled though the 1970s, but he has regained popularity with re-issues of his old songs in the 1990s.

Songfacts reports that Donovan first met Linda Lawrence in 1965, when she was recovering from a broken relationship with Brian Jones. The pair dated briefly, but not wanting the scrutiny and uncertainty of being a pop’s star girlfriend all over again, Lawrence broke it off at the end of the year. They continued to have an on-off romantic relationship over the next five years, and Linda exerted a huge influence on Donovan’s music. They finally married on October 2, 1970 at Windsor Registry Office.

As a close friend of The Beatles he travelled to India with them during their famous trip, and taught them how to fingerpick.

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