Biography
Sixto Rodriguez (Sixto Diaz Rodriguez, 1942-2023), known as Rodriguez, was an American singer and songwriter with roots from Mexico. He was born on July 10, 1942, in Detroit, Michigan, to Mexican immigrant parents and grew up in a working-class neighborhood, exposed to the socio-political challenges of the era.In the early 1970s, Rodriguez released two folk-rock albums, which did not find any success in the United States. As a result, Rodriguez left the music industry and turned to manual labor, working as a construction worker and in building demolitions. Unbeknownst to Rodriguez, his music found an audience in South Africa, where he became a pop icon, and his songs became anthems for the anti-apartheid movement, as many of them contained political messages and dealt with the struggles of the poor and oppressed.
In the late 1990s, two South African fans began a quest to find out what had happened to Rodriguez. Their journey and the eventual rediscovery of Rodriguez, who was living in Detroit, became the subject of the award-winning 2012 documentary "Searching for Sugar Man." Following this documentary, Rodriguez gained international fame and his career was reignited. He embarked on international tours, performing to large audiences, especially in places where his music had left a lasting impact.
Rodriguez, who had been married twice and had three daughters, passed away in Detroit on August 8, 2023.