Legendery American folk musician Rodriguez has died at the age of 81, according to a statement posted on his official website, Sugarman.org, on Wednesday.
“It is with great sadness that we at Sugarman.org announce that Sixto Diaz Rodriguez has passed away earlier today,” the message read.
The singer was born in Detroit and released two albums in the early 70s, both of which flopped in his home country. Unbeknownst to him at the time, by the mid-70s, his albums had gained significant airplay in Australia, New Zealand, Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
According to NPR, his compilation album went platinum in South Africa, where he was compared to more popular artists such as Cat Stevens and Bob Dylan. It was even reported by the Independent that Steve Biko was supposedly a Rodriguez fan. The musician was also the inspiration of the Academy Award-winning documentary “Searching for Sugar Man” in 2012, which followed two South African men who attempted to find out whether rumours of Rodriguez’s death were true.
Once Rodriguez learned of his celebrity status in South Africa, it was a joyful reunion for both the artist and his followers. In the 1990s, he sold out a series of concerts in South Africa.
When Rodriguez was asked about his thoughts about the documentary, according to the South African, he stated, “I didn’t want to be in it really. I thought that it was, well, my personal private life and everything. So I wasn’t sure what [the director] wanted to do, but at the end, he convinced me, and it has certainly excited my music career.”
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