He was a musical genius who had no idea how much he meant to people all over the world. Sixto Rodriguez, the Detroit folk musician whose songs of social justice became anthems for anti-apartheid activists in South Africa, died on Tuesday at the age of 81 after a short illness.
Rodriguez released two albums in the early 1970s, Cold Fact and Coming from Reality, but they flopped in the US and he faded into obscurity. He worked as a laborer, a carpenter, a factory worker, and even ran for mayor of Detroit, but never gave up on his music.
Unbeknownst to him, his music became hugely popular in South Africa, where his songs like “I Wonder” and “Sugar Man” resonated with a generation of young people who were fighting against the oppressive regime. He was rumored to have died by suicide on stage, but two South African fans, Stephen Segerman and Craig Bartholomew-Strydom, discovered he was alive and living modestly in Detroit in the 1990s.
They contacted him and brought him to South Africa for a series of concerts that were attended by thousands of fans who greeted him as a hero. His story was documented in the 2012 film “Searching for Sugar Man”, which won the Academy Award for best documentary feature.
“He was one of the greatest songwriters ever. He had this gift to be able to communicate complex emotions and situations in a way that very few can,” said Malik Bendjelloul, the director of “Searching for Sugar Man”.
“His music changed our lives because it gave us hope. It made us realize that we were not alone, that there were other people who felt like us,” said Segerman, one of the fans who tracked him down.
Rodriguez is survived by his wife Eva and his three daughters Sandra, Eva and Regan. His family described him as a humble, kind, gentle, wise, poetic and philosophical man.
“He lived life as he wanted to live it, not how other people wanted him to live it,” said Sandra Rodriguez-Kennedy, his daughter.
“He was a very humble man, very kind, very gentle. He had a deep soul. He had a lot of wisdom. He was a philosopher and a poet,” said Eva Rodriguez, his wife.
Rodriguez’s music has influenced many artists, including Dave Matthews, who reissued his albums on his label ATO Records.
“He was a musical genius who had no idea how much he meant to people all over the world,” said Matthews.
Relevant articles:
– Rodriguez, subject of Oscar-winning doc ‘Searching for Sugar Man,’ dies at 81, The Detroit News, August 9, 2023
– Sixto Rodriguez, Subject Of ‘Searching For Sugar Man’ Documentary, Dies At 81, HuffPost, August 9, 2023
– Sixto Diaz Rodriguez, subject of documentary ‘Searching for Sugar Man,’ dies at 81, MSN, August 9, 2023
– Singer and songwriter Sixto Rodriguez, subject of ‘Searching for Sugar Man’ documentary, dies at 81, NBC News, August 9, 2023