Rodriguez, ‘Searching for Sugar Man’ Rocker, Dead at 81 – Rolling Stone

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Sixto Rodriguez, the obscure 70s rocker known simply as Rodriguez whose music has enjoyed a renaissance decades later thanks to the Oscar-winning documentary Looking for a sugar manHe passed away on Tuesday at the age of 81.

Rodriguez’s death was announced on Wednesday its official website. “It is with great sadness that we at Sugarman.org announce the passing of Sixto Diaz Rodriguez earlier today,” the statement read. No cause of death was given, but Rodriguez reportedly dealt with health issues in recent years.

The Detroit-born rocker, who made a career as a musician while working on Motor City assembly lines, recorded a pair of albums in the early 1970s – Cool fact And coming from reality —but neither sold well, and Rodriguez’s music slid into obscurity.

However, unbeknownst to Rodriguez, his music—particularly Cool fact opener “Sugar Man” – became a hit and fostered a cult following in Australia and South Africa, with Johannesburg-born Dave Matthews among one of his early fans; Matthews has performed “Sugar Man” live with his band.

Rodriguez’s disappearance from the music industry sparked rumors that he died by various incredible means – including either self-immolation or shooting himself on stage – but two South African fans discovered he was living a normal life in his native Detroit in the late ’90s. A fan’s search for Rodriguez was the subject of a 2012 documentary Looking for a sugar manwhich helped expose Rodriguez and his music to millions after it won both a BAFTA and an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

Thanks to the film, more than 40 years after the release of his only album, Rodriguez is invited to perform at festivals such as Coachella and Glastonbury, and embark on world tours.

“It was a great epic,” said Rodriguez. Detroit News in 2008. “All those years, you know, I always considered myself a musician. But reality happened.”

This story is evolving.