Sixto Rodríguez, the musician who did not know he was the idol of millions of people, died

sixto rodriguezthe singer-songwriter whose unlikely and stranger-than-fiction career was portrayed in the 2012 Oscar-winning documentary “Searching For Sugar Man”, died on August 9. She was 81 years old. The news was announced on his official website.

“It is with great sadness that we at Sugarman.org announce that Sixto Díaz Rodríguez passed away today”, reads the official statement. “We express our deepest condolences to his daughters -Sandra, Eva and Regan- and to his entire family. Rodriguez he was 81 years old. May her dear soul rest in peace.”

born as sixto rodriguez and artistically known by his last name, the Detroit native worked on a Chrysler assembly line while playing nightclubs. He attracted the attention of producers Mike Theodore and Dennis Coffey. Together they produced the debut of Rodriguez in 1970, “Cold Fact”for the Los Angeles independent label, Sussex Records.

“We thought he was like the inner-city poet, putting his poems to music”said Coffey in the director’s award-winning feature Malik Bendejelloul.

Both that album and its successor, “Coming From Reality”recorded in London the following year by Steve Rowland, were a commercial failure, and by December 1971 Sussex had dropped Rodriguez. The musician disappeared from the music scene and, according to his words, “returned to work” as a laborer, doing demolitions, renovations and home renovations.

Rodríguez’s unexpected success

Unbeknownst to Rodríguez as he was installing drywall, however, his unusual and moving recordings: gritty, streetwise material like “Sugar Man”, “I Wonder” and “Climb Up On My Music” that combined the folk-rock of Bob Dylan and socially committed lyrics with a sophisticated production- had achieved unexpected success in some international territories.

In South Africa, his record “Cold Fact” became an underground sensation in the early ’70s. A South African label executive who released Rodriguez’s album estimated that it sold half a million copies. There his music became a symbol in the fight against Apartheid, becoming more famous than Elvis, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

During years, rumors had circulated in South Africa that Rodríguez was dead, that he had committed suicide on stage, shooting or setting himself on fire. In 1997, a journalist and the operator of a fan website, where the elusive face of the artist was depicted, finally found out that the singer was, in fact, still alive in Detroit.

After an absence from music of almost 30 years, Rodríguez was flown to South Africa for a brief series of sold-out concerts. He memorably responded to jubilant applause from an audience by commenting, “Thank you for keeping me alive.”

Three of the South African shows formed the basis for a 2001 one-hour television film, “Dead Men Don’t Tour”conducted by the percussionist of the tour Tonya Selley. A decade later, footage of him made it to “Searching For Sugar Man”shot on a shoestring, often using his iPhone after his money ran out, by fledgling director Bendejelloul, who tracked down Rodriguez and his family and musical associates for further interviews.

In the film, the black-clad musician is seen, his eyes hidden behind dark glasses, strolling through the dilapidated house of Detroit where he lived for 40 years. There the singer emerges from decades in the dark to make his story known.

“Searching For Sugar Man” the world knows Rodríguez

“Searching For Sugar Man” it was made into a Cinderella movie story. It created quite a stir in the Sundance Film Festival 2012, where it captured the People’s Choice Award, and was picked up for distribution by Sony Pictures Classics, grossing a more than acceptable $3.7 million in the United States. It also won the Oscar for best documentary feature film.

More than 40 years after their original release, Rodriguez’s two albums (reissued by the independent Light in the Attic in 2008) finally entered the US Albums Chart following the success of the film, while the band soundtrack accompanying the documentary reached number 76. The musician, who turned 70 that year, found a renewed career on concert stages around the world, and did so until the end of his days..

Where to watch “Searching For Sugar Man”

The 2012 Oscar-winning documentary can be seen at https://www.documaniatv.com/biografias/searching-for-sugar-man-video_033fec27b.html