Donavan took up surfing as a teenager at San Clemente, California, and was signed to a sponsorship deal with Billabong allowing him to travel the world surfing. During his travels, he rented a room in North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii, from Jack Johnson´s parents and the surfer-musicians developed a strong friendship. Over the course of the past half-decade, the California-bred Frankenreiter has established himself as one of the more original voices on the acoustic-rock scene, through tireless touring and the innate catchiness of songs like “Free” (which became a Triple-A radio staple upon its release two years ago). Donavon´s first live DVD, "Donavon Frankenreiter: The Abbey Road Sessions" was filmed and recorded at a special concert performed at Abbey Road studios in London, England in November of 2005, and subsequently released in early ´06.