From Poetry Blossoms Change

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by: HealthyWealthynWise
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Word Count: 483

Donovan is a successful folk singer with several 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, "Lalea," "Atlantis" and "Riki Tiki Tavi." He was even invited to work with The Beatles to write "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 musical passion started in childhood. Born in Scotland in 1946, he was the son of a man who shared his passion for poetry with him. Donovan assumed it was typical for fathers to read poetry aloud to their sons, so he grew to appreciate the effort when he learned that most fathers don't do that.

As he grew, Donovan's love of poetry blossomed into music and art as well. To Donovan, music and poetry are, and will always be, sisters. In each, sounds created produce a movement of air that is in rhythmic balance and harmonizes the tribes of the world. When read aloud, even the worst poetry has more flow than the best prose.

Donovan left home at age 15 to hitchhike with Gypsy Dave. They played in local clubs until he was 17 years old. When he returned home, Donovan was approached about recording demos at Tin Pan Alley in London. He knew this was his chance to become a folk singer. It was his chance to protest and sing about civil rights.

Donovan's life isn't all music. Just as with poetry and music, he has a passion for Transcendental Meditation. He went to India for the first time in 1968 to learn about the technique, and was accompanied by The Beatles, Mike Love, and Mia Farrow. Now 40 years later, Donovan is the head of the musical wing of the David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace.

Donovan started down his religious path almost as early as he did poetry and music. In his teens he read "On the Road" by Jack Kerouac. The influence of Buddhism and Zen led him to learn more about Alan Watts, Christmas Humphries, Suzuki, Taoism, Hinduism, Vedas, and Celtic Mythology. Poetry, art, music, and spirituality are all at the very center of Donovan's life.

Donovan's successes came after a long line of obstacles. Even as a child, he was teased because he was a shy book-lover and because he had a limp from polio. Later in life he faced lawsuits, a drug arrest, and broken hearts, but none kept him from his passion to change the world through song.

About the Author

In the 1960's Donovan was a giant musical superstar! Read his experiences and find out what Donovan is up to today to continue his musical legend.