US singer-songwriter Sixto Rodriguez dies at 81

The singer of songs like “Sugar Man” and “I Wonder” died at the age of 81, according to his website on Wednesday. A cause of death was not given. Earlier this year, the father of three daughters suffered a stroke and needed surgery, according to his website.

Born in 1942 in the US metropolis of Detroit as the son of Mexican immigrants, the musician became internationally known through the 2012 documentary “Searching for Sugar Man”. The film tells the story of two fans’ search for the singer-songwriter who had fallen into oblivion in the USA and whose music had had unexpected success in South Africa without his knowledge. The documentary won an Oscar in 2013.

Rodriguez was discovered by two music producers in a bar in his hometown of Detroit in the late 1960s. The son of Mexican immigrants released his debut studio album, Cold Fact, in 1970, which, like his second album Coming from Reality in 1971, was a slow seller. Rodriguez then retired from the music business and worked as a construction worker.

After fans tracked him down in the late 1990s, Rodriguez made a triumphant comeback with several concerts in South Africa. After the release of “Searching for Sugar Man” he also performed in the USA and Europe, where his haunting music moved many people as much as his life story.