- Born Donovan Leitch in 1946, in Scotland.
- Released 26 studio albums in the U.S. between 1965 and 2013. Singles that have charted total 16. His most popular songs – Sunshine Superman reached #1, Mellow Yellow reached #2, and Hurdy Gurdy Man reached #5.
- As many musical artists from the 60s and 70s do, Donovan continues to tour at 70 years old. In March, he played concerts in Europe, and in June, the Sunshine Superman tour plays 9 dates in the U.S.
- Donovan was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. At the ceremony, he was credited with initiating the “psychedelic revolution” with the album Sunshine Superman.
- He had a strong influence on the evolving sound of the Beatles during their later years. He became their tutor during their famous trip to India, when they studied Transcendental Meditation and Eastern Philosophy with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
- His earliest music was influenced by Woody Guthrie, and is often compared to Bob Dylan. By the late 60s, he had evolved into the hippie culture. His music was influenced by jazz, blues, and eastern music.
- Go back to your flower power days, and enjoy this clip of Donovan playing Hurdy Gurdy Man. By the way, a Hurdy Gurdy is an instrument similar to an organ grinder. It is played by turning a crank and pressing buttons to play notes.