The story of Sixto Rodriguez is one that makes me cry, every single time I watch the brilliant documentary “Searching for Sugar Man” by Malik Bendjelloul. Nothing is better than watching that Oscar-winning documentary when you want or need to feel better. I highly recommend doing just that.
Sixto Rodriguez was a hopeful singer from Detroit, often compared to Bob Dylan due to the thoughtful texts he wrote. He was discovered by people from the music industry in the early 1970s who thought he would make a great career, but his first album “Cold Fact” was only a very modest success in the USA. After some struggling, he gave up his career as a musician and worked as a bricklayer and a demolition worker. Hard physical labour, but little money. He married and founded a family, had 3 daughters. There was some recognition for his songs in Australia, where he made a tour in the 1980s. As a father, he stirred his daughters towards education and the appreciation of culture and beauty, be it art or literature. He himself earned a degree in philosophy. Naturally, due to his working and the need to earn a living for his family, it took him longer than normal, but he was dedicated. He was also engaged in community work.
Totally unbeknownst to him, his first record had somehow made the way to South Africa in the early 70s and became a mega hit. Apartheid South Africa was isolated from the world. Sixto Rodriguez’ liberal, and sometimes rebellious, texts hit a nerve there. Everybody who was young in the 1970s knew them, and after a while the next generation loved the music as well. It is often quoted that Sixto Rodriguez was more famous than Elvis Presley and the Rolling Stones combined in South Africa.
Only neither knew he of his fame in South Africa, nor did the money from his record sales reach him. The South African fans on the other hand knew nothing about the singer apart from his name and some urban legends that he had killed himself on stage in the 1970s.
In the mid to end 1990s the internet slowly connected continents: People who till then only had the possibility to send a letter or phone somebody of whom they knew not only that he/she existed, but also had the address, could now search randomly for people, places, history, everything. In South Africa a group of ardent Rodriguez fans set up a website about him and asked for more information. In the USA, his daughter came in 1997 about the website and a sent a surprised comment.
A dialogue started and then dreams became reality. In March 1998, Sixto Rodriguez came to South Africa to play his first concerts. Big concert halls, all sold out, thousands of fans at each location. It is unbelievable seeing the moment of recognition between fans and star. It was all real and no fake. The fans sung all songs together with him, word for word.
The big and worldwide lasting fame came for Sixto Rodriguez 10 years later in 2012, with the documentary “Searching for Sugar Man”. Whilst the story itself is almost unbelievable, the composure of the man is even more so and defines his legacy.
Many people asked him if he was angry that he never knew of his fame, that for many years he never saw any money for all the sold records of his songs, that he led such a tough life. And he said no, he was very happy with this life. All of it, the good sides and the bad. And he was credible when he said it. Very, very few people can credibly say something like that after such a hard life with so many unforeseen twists.
Sixto Rodriguez had his very own resilience. He stayed completely grounded, no bitterness, no second thoughts, but a deep appreciation of the good fate he had. This can be perfectly observed on the videos of his first tour in South Africa. He simply changed from Sixto Rodriguez, the demolition worker, to Rodriguez, the super star. And back. All was him and he was fine with every aspect of his life.
Who can say he or her would act similar?
Who of us is so unpretentious to make such a story work – and be credible?
Who concentrates on the good sides, always?
Who instils knowledge, curiosity, and appreciation in his / her kids even when your own circumstances are less than ideal?
There are a few quotes that are very notable. One of his daughters said in “Searching for Sugar Man” that “home is acceptance”, referring to South Africa. Whoever you are, when you are with likeminded people, you can feel safe.
“How much of you is repetition” is a very famous quote from one of his most loved songs “Crucify your mind”. How much do we do to impress others, to look better than we are? What is our trick with other people? How much of it is worth it after all? Do you stay true to yourself? Do you even know who you are?
If there would be more people like Sixto Rodriguez, the world would be a better place. That sounds like an empty phrase, but here it is true. He was born in 1942 and died 2023. Not much of his life was repetition and nothing was wasted.
Malik Bendjellouls documentary and the songs of Rodriguez leave us the legacy of a truly great man.
All rights to the DVD and CDs belong to:
DVD-Documentary:
Bendjelloul, Malik: SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN, 2012, Sweden/Great Britain, 2012: Canfield Pictures / The Documentary Company and 2013 Rapid Eye Movies HE GmbH
CDs:
All Songs by Rodriguez: Searching for Sugar Man, Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, a Sony Pictures Classics Release, 2012, Sony Music Entertainment UK Limited
Rodriguez: Cold Fact, Light in the Attic Records & Distribution, LLC, Seattle, USA. All songs published by Interior Music (BMI), Licensed Courtesy of Hey Day Entertainment, LLC, originally released on Sussex Records, March 1970 as SXBS7000
For a list of quotes from Sixto Rodriguez please refer to quote.org and search for his name. I have done so on 29th of June, 2025. There were 101 quotes.