Why Donovan Said The Beatles’ Fame Was ‘Dangerous, Even Fatal’

Being a classic rock star wasn’t always as easy as it looked. Donovan said getting famous was difficult for himself and “even fatal” for The Beatles. George Harrison discussed the morbid way fans reacted to the Fab Four. The “Got My Mind Set on You” wondered if Fab Four fans wanted the band to meet a grisly end, like Elvis Presley.

Donovan said The Beatles ‘lost their private lives altogether’ due to their fame

During a 2012 interview with MusicRadar, Donovan discussed being a pop star in the 1960s. “Coming from art school, I had a great sense of style — as did The Beatles and The Stones — and I enjoyed projecting that,” he said. “Image, attitude, great music, and great lyrics — that was the ’60s.”

The “Mellow Yellow” singer said fame had downsides for himself and the Fab Four. “For The Beatles, it was dangerous, even fatal,” he said. “They lost their private lives altogether. For me, the difficulties weren’t in wanting to communicate, it was in doing so at a time when we became heroes and heroines … and we became victims of our fame.” Donovan may have been referring to John Lennon’s death at the hands of an obsessed hater.

Donovan discussed how he and the Fab Four tried to spread messages with their songs

Donovan was asked about his difficulties in making sure his audience understood the messages of his songs. “The fact that the songs came to me … and [Bob] Dylan has said this … I think that writers have a skill to create circumstances to create,” he said. “To imagine that the songs can be popular is difficult. To imagine that your fame can be super like The Beatles or The Stones or Dylan or me is difficult.

“But you do wish to communicate,” the singer continued. “If you do communicate, and if you do achieve super fame, you lose your private life. That is hard.”

George Harrison asked if fans wanted The Beatles to die like Elvis Presley

During a 1979 interview with Rolling Stone, George was asked about the fandom surrounding the Fab Four. Specifically, he discussed how fans still wanted The Beatles to reunite. The “My Sweet Lord” singer felt fans had plenty of Beatles songs and films to enjoy already.

George rhetorically asked if The Beatles’ fans wanted them to die like Elvis Presley. In George’s opinion, the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll got stuck in a rut doing the same thing over and over again. George felt Elvis’ rut caused his health to suffer.

The “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)” singer felt it was for the better that his band only lasted a few years. Each year they stayed together felt like 20 to George. In his view, the band’s time together was full of unpleasant “madness.” He thought The Beatles’ breakup was good for his well-being and had no interest in reforming the band.

While The Beatles’ run as a band seemed fabulous to everyone else, Donovan and George both saw the dark side of the situation.