Finally got around to checking out the Oscar nominated documentary Searching For Sugar Man last night. My man Jay was telling me about this film at a radio remote awhile ago, he told this outrageous tale of a forgotten 70s singer from Detroit. Through a weird wrinkle of fate, a controlled and closed society, and the lack of the Internet, became a huge star in South Africa.
Sixto Rodriguez was a folk singer from Detroit who gigged locally in dive bars around the scene. Two Motown producers had heard of him and came to check him out. They were convinced he’d be the “next Dylan” and got him signed to Sussex Records. With Sussex, he recorded two albums… 1970’s Cold Facts and 71’s Coming From Reality. Both albums were commercial flops in the US and he was dropped from Sussex two weeks before Christmas in 1971.
Rodriguez mostly gave up his musical career. He remained in Detroit and worked manual labour jobs while raising a family. He toured briefly. He went to University and got a degree in Philosophy and was also politically active. While the story might have ended there for many, something peculiar happened to Rodriguez.
In the 70s… an Australian record label bought the rights to his back catalog and album became popular there. A “greatest hits” album was sent to South Africa. There the album became the soundtrack to the Anti-Apartheid movement. Rodriguez did become aware of the Australian fame and toured there twice in ’79 and one last time in ’81 before slipping back into obscurity.
But in South Africa, he remained a mystery, and to Rodriguez, he was unaware of his popularity there. Its a pretty outrageous story and the documentary was worth my time.
Go with yourself.
The Morning After 