Rodriguez, musician and ‘Searching for Sugar Man’ star, dead at 81

Sixto Diaz Rodriguez, the Detroit singer-songwriter whose uncommon rise to fame was documented within the Oscar-winning documentary “Trying to find Sugar Man,” has died. He was 81.

The musician’s dying was confirmed on his website on Wednesday. His reason behind dying and site of dying has not been revealed.

“It’s with nice unhappiness that we at Sugarman.org announce that Sixto Diaz Rodriguez has handed away earlier at this time,” learn the assertion on his web site.

“We lengthen our most heartfelt condolences to his daughters – Sandra, Eva and Regan – and to all his household. Rodriguez was 81 years previous. Could His Pricey Soul Relaxation In Peace,” his assertion continued.

The Bob Dylan-inspired crooner, higher generally known as Rodriguez, struggled to promote copies of his first two information “Chilly Truth” and “Coming from Actuality” within the Seventies and he supported himself by engaged on a Chrysler meeting line. 

Unbeknownst to him, his music was gaining cult-like recognition in South Africa, Botswana, Australia and New Zealand. 

In South Africa, his songs protesting the Vietnam Battle in addition to racial and gender inequality turned songs used to protest racial segregation throughout the nation’s racist Apartheid.

His followers in South Africa assumed Rodriguez was standard within the US as properly and likewise thought he was already useless. 

In 1997, Cape City document retailer proprietor Stephen “Sugar” Segerman and a journalist named Carl Bartholomew-Strydom hunted the singer down in Detroit, the place he was very a lot alive and dealing on development websites. Additionally in 1997, Rodriguez’s daughter Eva discovered about her dad’s fame on-line.

His fame skyrocketed in 1998 after his tune “Sugar Man” was coated by the South African rock band Simply Jinger and the Scottish singer-songwriter Paolo Nutini. Rapper Nas additionally sampled his tune in 2001. In 2008, Rodriguez launched his two albums and likewise went on tour.

The 2012 documentary “Trying to find Sugar Man” by Swedish filmmaker Malik Bendjelloul shined a light-weight on the singer’s life and received the Oscar in 2013. The director committed suicide in 2014.

After Rodriguez’s music profession died down within the 70s, he give up music and labored demolition gigs. He was concerned in native politics and unsuccessfully ran for Detroit Metropolis Council and the Michigan Home of Representatives. Then his life modified ceaselessly.

“It’s been an awesome odyssey,” Rodriguez said in a 2008 interview with the Detroit Information. “All these years, you already know, I at all times thought-about myself a musician. However, actuality occurred.”

Rodriguez was presupposed to go on tour in Australia and New Zealand in 2019 however he cancelled it citing in poor health well being.