A GLASGOW-BORN music legend is celebrating his 75th birthday today. 

Donovan, who was born in the city's Maryhill on this day in 1946, is best known for his songs Mellow Yellow and Hurdy Gurdy Man.

He was a key figure in the British folk scene in the 1960s, influencing John Lennon with a distinctive guitar-playing style the Beatle used on hits such as Happiness is a Warm Gun and Dear Prudence. 

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Glasgow Times: Copyright: Epic Records Copyright: Epic Records

Born to the children of Irish immigrants to Glasgow, the young Donovan Phillip Leitch moved to Herefordshire, England.

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His most famous tune, Mellow Yellow reached number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1966 and enjoyed a resurgence in popularity when it was covered by a group of models and actors for a Gap advert in 1999. 

The song features an uncredited appearance from another Beatle, Paul McCartney, who played bass on the album from which the song was taken. 

The year the song was released, he became the first major British pop star to be arrested for possession of cannabis.

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He was backed in his early performances by musicians who would go on to form the Jeff Beck Group and future Led Zeppelin members John Paul Jones and John Bonham. 

After enjoying some commercial success in the 60s, his popularity dipped and he stepped out of the limelight but continued to release music.

It's understood he moved to County Cork, Ireland in 2008, where he still lives.