Sixto Rodriguez dead at 81: ‘Searching for Sugar Man’ documentary star and cult 1970s musician became more famous than ELVIS in South Africa after 2013 film
- Sixto Rodriguez has died aged 81 after suffering from a stroke in February
- The Detroit musician rose to fame in South Africa and had a career resurgence
- Documentary makers tracked him down to the US and helped him earn millions
Sixto Diaz Rodriguez who rose to international fame after being the subject of the Oscar-winning documentary ‘Searching for Sugar Man,’ has died.
The Detroit musician had been in declining health, with his family confirming his death just weeks after his 81st birthday.
Rodriguez was said to be ‘recovering well’ after undergoing surgery in March, to repair damage from a stroke in February.
His website confirmed that he had died, saying in a statement: ‘It is with great sadness that we at Sugarman.org announce that Sixto Diaz Rodriguez has passed away earlier today.
‘We extend our most heartfelt condolences to his daughters – Sandra, Eva and Regan – and to all his family. May His Dear Soul Rest In Peace.’
The Detroit musician had been in declining health, with his family confirming his death just weeks after his 81st birthday
Rodriguez was said to be ‘recovering well’ after undergoing surgery in March, to repair damage from a stroke in February
Sharing a photo of her father performing on stage, his daughter Regan said: ‘Love and music. Thank you for everything.’
The iconic musician only rose to fame in his 70s, after documentary makers from South Africa tracked him down.
His rise from obscurity saw him launched into international success decades after recording two albums in Detroit in the early 1970s.
‘Searching for Sugar Man’ documented Malik Bendjellou’s journey to finding the folk musician in 2012.
The film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 85th Academy Awards ceremony in 2013.
Rodriguez recorded Cold Fact and Coming from Reality in the US, and had given up hope of a music career after they flopped in the States.
He started a family, and gained a philosophy degree from Wayne State University, and unsuccessfully ran for mayor, city council and state senate.
The music icon was asked to perform in Australia in 1979 and 1918, telling the Detroit News he felt they were ‘strange flukes’.
The iconic musician only rose to fame in his 70s, after documentary makers from South Africa tracked him down.
In 2008 he re-released his albums, which spiked interest in his music and allowed him to tour again
Rodriguez recorded Cold Fact and Coming from Reality in the US, and had given up hope of a music career after they flopped in the States
His daughter Eva discovered websites dedicated to him in South Africa in 1997, which made wild claims that he had shot himself on stage or suffered a drug overdose.
Superfans managed to get in touch with him, with one telling him ‘In South Africa, you’re bigger than Elvis’.
He toured in South Africa, with further fame following him after his song Sugar Man was covered by Paolo Nutini and South African band Just Jinger.
In 2008 he re-released his albums, which spiked interest in his music and allowed him to tour again.
But his success earned him millions after the documentary by Swedish film-maker Bendjelloul.
The documentary, which was filmed on an iPhone, tells the story of two South Africans who set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock ‘n’ roller.
More than 40 years after releasing his lone two albums, Rodriguez was invited to perform at festivals like Coachella and Glastonbury, and embarking on tours around the world.
‘It’s been a great odyssey,’ Rodriguez told the Detroit News in 2008. ‘All those years, you know, I always considered myself a musician. But, reality happened.’
This is a developing story.
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