Donovan Philips Leitch (also known simply as Donovan) (born May 10, 1946) is a British musician. Born in Glasgow, he moved with his family to Hatfield, England when young. Influenced by his family's love for Scottish and English folk music, he began playing guitar at fourteen. He and his friend Gypsy Dave traveled the country playing folk songs. In 1963 he appeared on the television program Ready Steady Go. which led to a recording contract.
Since Donovan was billed as the English version of Bob Dylan, a meeting between the two in 1965 made headlines. He toured with Dylan and Joan Baez, and can be seen backstage in the concert film Don't Look Back. He performed to critical and audience acclaim at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival.
Donovan began performing with future Led Zeppelin members John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page and John Bonham.
His first international hit was "Sunshine Superman", which was followed by "Mellow Yellow", a song believed by many to be about the supposed practice of smoking banana peels, which became his signature tune (Paul McCartney is said to be heard whispering on it). Other hits included "Season Of The Witch", "Hurdy Gurdy Man", and his snarling "Goo-Goo-Barrabajagal" is perhaps the hardest rocking mystical evocation of Christianity ever recorded, while "Atlantis" is as pagan and hippy-dippy as they come.
Donovan was a sometime collaborator with The Beatles, supplying lyrics for Yellow Submarine. In 1969 he married Linda Lawrence, the widow of former Rolling Stones member Brian Jones.
In the late 1960s, seeing many of his audience succumb to hard drug use, Donovan went on record opposing the use of drugs. He became a student of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, embracing vegetarianism and Hindu and Buddhist philosophies.
Donovan has two children who have become actors, his namesake son, Donovan Leitch, Jr, and his daughter, Ione Skye.
