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by: HealthyWealthynWise
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Donovan is a successful musician with numerous Top-40 hits including "Mellow Yellow," "Sunshine Superman," "Epistle to Dippy," "There is a Mountain," "Wear Your Love Like Heaven," "Hurdy Gurdy Man," "Jennifer Juniper," "Lalena," "Atlantis" and "Riki Tiki Tavi." He even worked in collaboration with The Beatles to create "Yellow Submarine".

Donovan's style has touched the skills of other legendary musicians as well. Musicians like John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Jimmy Page, and Brian Jones have incorporated bits of the Donovan guitar style into their own music. Donovan recently released "Beat Caf", "Try for the Sun: The Journey of Donovan", and a book called "The Autobiography of Donovan: The Hurdy Gurdy Man", although most of his success came during the 1960's.

Donovan's passion for music started very early in life. He was born in Scotland in 1946 to a father who loved poetry. Donovan didn't learn until later in life that his father was one of only a handful who read poetry to their sons. Even before Donovan was old enough to understand the words and meanings, he was able to appreciate the metered sound of poetry.

His love for poetry blossomed into music as Donovan got older. Music and poetry are a sisterhood as far as Donovan is concerned. Each creates a rhythmic balance through movement of air. This balance harmonizes every tribe of the world. Even the simplest poetry has more flow than the most complex of story writing.

At age 15, Donovan left home to hitchhike with Gypsy Dave. They played music where ever they roamed, whether it be beaches, fields, or clubs. When he returned home at 17, Donovan got his shot at becoming the folk singer he dreamed of being. He was asked to record some demos at Tin Pan Alley in London. He knew this was his chance to legally protest and sing songs about civil rights.

Donovan's life isn't completely about music. He is also very interested in Transcendental Meditation. He first traveled to India in 1968 to learn about the technique along with The Beatles, Mike Love, and Mia Farrow. Today, Donovan heads up the musical wing of the David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace.

Donovan started down the path of religion at an early age just as he did with music. As a teenager, he read "On the Road" by Jack Kerouac. Reading about Buddhism and Zen led him to other people and religions including Alan Watts, Christmas Humphries, Suzuki, Taoism, Hinduism, Vedas, and Celtic Mythology. Poetry, art, music, and spirituality have always, and will always rule Donovan's life.

Donovan had to overcome many, many obstacles to become the successful man he is today. From a shy book-loving boy with a polio limp was born the man who made it his goal to change a generation through song. Lawsuits, arrests, and broken hearts couldn't keep him down!

About the Author

In the 1960's Donovan was a giant folk music icon! Hear his experiences and find out what Donovan is doing today to continue his folk music legend.

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