Son seeks advice of 60's folk singer Donovan

Actor-singer Donovan Leitch sought the advice of his estranged father, 1960s folk singer Donovan, about portraying a British superstar singer in the play I Just Stopped By To See The Man.

Leitch, 36, whose sister is actress Ione Skye, had been estranged from his father from the time he was a child but he went to see him recently at his home in Ireland, he told the Los Angeles Times.

They played guitar together for the first time and did some songwriting and recording together, he said.

Now that he has landed the role in I Just Stopped By To See The Man which opens at Los

Angeles' Geffen Theatre later this month, he has been telephoning his father frequently for tips, because the role requires him to do an impersonation of a blues-guitar ace on two numbers, one of them being blues great Robert Johnson's classic Me And The Devil Blues.

“It’s kind of scary,” said Leitch. “I’m a fan of the blues but I’ve never really played the blues. Even though I have that musical background, it’s all virgin territory.”