DETROIT (CelebrityAccess) — Rodriguez, a singer-songwriter whose career was revived by the Oscar-winning 2012 documentary, “Searching For Sugarman” died on August 8th. He was 81.
His death was announced in a brief statement on his official website but a cause of death was not provided. He was previously reported to be recovering after suffering a stroke earlier this year.
Born Sixto Rodriguez, Rodriquez pursued a career in music, performing on the local club circuit in his native Detroit while working a day job on a Chrysler assembly line.
He released his first two albums “Cold Fact” and “Coming From Reality” on the independent Los Angeles-based record label Sussex Records in the early 1970s but failed to gain traction with fans in the U.S. and was ultimately dropped by the label.
While his music failed to connect with fans in the U.S. at the time, he amassed a fan base in markets such as Australia and South Africa, where he became a cult star.
In 2012, Rodriguez was the subject of a documentary, “Searching For Sugarman” by Swedish director Bendejelloul. The documentary helped to revive Rodriguez’ career, including a North American tour with dates at venues such as The Beacon Theater in New York, the The Gorge Amphitheatre in Washington, and the Glastonbury festival in Somerset.
In 2015, Rodriguez was the focus of a new biography by Craig Bartholomew Strydom and Stephen “Sugar” Segerman entitled Sugar Man: The Life, Death and Resurrection of Sixto Rodriguez.
His final North American tour came in 2018 but he was forced to cancel a tour in 2019 due to poor health.
Rodriguez is survived by his three daughters and other members of his family.
