Known for his talents as both a musician and songwriter, Donovan landed numerous hits like “Colours,” “Catch the Wind,” and “Sunshine Superman.” He also helped John Lennon learn the style of finger-picking in 1968. Lennon would go on to use that style in songs like “Happiness Is a Warm Gun” and “Julia.” While always willing to help fellow artists, the musician recently admitted to mentoring George Harrison after noticing he was “in the shadow” of other great stars like Lennon and Paul McCartney.
Discussing his time in music with Record Collector magazine, Donovan recalled his time with Harrison. “I became George’s mentor for songwriting,” he said. “He was in the shadow of John and Paul for so many years and I said, ‘Look, I’ll show you a few tricks, how to encourage the songs.’ There’s a way to encourage the song to come.”
Source: americansongwriter.com/Chris Piner