‘Searching For Sugar Man’ singer-songwriter Rodriguez has died
nme.comthe musician’s official blog and website announced his death. “It is with great sadness that we at Sugarman.org announce that Sixto Diaz Rodriguez has passed away earlier today,” it read. “We extend our most heartfelt condolences to his daughters – Sandra, Eva and Regan – and to all his family.”Rodriguez’s death was also confirmed to News24 by Stephen “Sugar” Segerman, who runs SugarMan.org. “We’ve confirmed with his daughter, Sandra, that he passed away yesterday, August 8, at 17:30 Detroit time,” Segerman said.After releasing two poorly-selling albums (1970’s ‘Cold Fact’ and 1971’s ‘Coming From Reality’) on Sussex Records, he was dropped and quit music in favour of working in the demolition and production line industries.While Rodriguez’s records failed to make a mark in the US at the time of their release, they gained numerous fans abroad, with his popularity rising in countries like Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. ‘At His Best’, a compilation album released by Australian label Blue Goose, was certified platinum in South Africa, while he toured Australia in 1979 and 1981.Decades later, after learning that his fame in South Africa had only grown since the ‘70s, he held a tour there, during which time the documentary Dead Men Don’t Tour: Rodriguez in South Africa was filmed.
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