Singer called himself a flop for selling only 6 CDs. For 30 years, he had no idea a nation was searching for him
After Rodriguez's albums failed commercially in the 1970s, his record label cut him off, and the celebrity had to live in a rundown house for $50
One of humanity's deepest fears is slipping through time without a trace. For Sixto Diaz Rodriguez, a construction worker-turned-musician, this fear became reality when his critically acclaimed albums, "Cold Fact" and "Coming from Reality," failed commercially in the 1970s. Soon, his record label cut him off, forcing him to abandon music and buy a rundown house for $50, as per Vintage News on 28 May 2018. However, as he settled into this regular life, he was unaware that his music had gained him immense popularity on the other side of the world, surpassing even Elvis Presley.
Unexpected fame from an unexpected nation
The Detroit-based musician was actually a superstar in countries like South Africa and Australia, especially in South Africa. That's because back then, the nation was going through a tough time; it was the height of the apartheid system. So, television was banned, and the media was censored. With South Africa being so isolated, Rodriguez's anti-establishment and political songs struck a chord with those who opposed the government.
With the singer gaining massive popularity amongst the masses, a South African company bought the rights to both of his albums and released them in the country. However, even today, no one truly knows how his music reached the country in the first place. There are rumors that it was brought to the shores by an American girl who was visiting her boyfriend in Cape Town. She played some songs from "Cold Fact" to her friends there, who liked it but couldn't get a copy for themselves, leading to this entire event.
People became curious
Of course, with the rise in popularity, people were eager to know more about Rodriguez. However, there was almost no information on him. This led many to believe that he died, with some rumors about him committing suicide, but that wasn't true. In fact, Rodriguez was living a normal life in Detroit with his daughter, completely oblivious to the idea that he was insanely popular in another country.
The search for 'Sugar Man'
After years of conspiracy theories and the government even banning his songs on the radio, his fame even surpassed both Elvis and the Rolling Stones. So, record store owner Stephen “Sugar” Segerman and a music journalist, Craig Bartholomew, decided to find the truth. The two began the hunt to find Rodriguez, or even his family, if the rumors were true back in the 1990s. For the first few years, they couldn't get anything on the man. It wasn't until 30 years after the release of his first album that they got a breakthrough.
While browsing through the internet, Rodriguez's daughter, Eva, stumbled across a website called "The Great Rodriguez Hunt," created by Segerman with the hopes of helping with the search. As soon as Eva connected with them, she received a call from Segerman and learned about her father's rockstar status in South Africa. Just a few days later, Segerman woke to a call from the man himself, and he explained how much impact his music had made.
Playing in South Africa
Segerman then brought up his request for Rodriguez to perform in the country, and he agreed. In the meantime, this discovery of the "Sugar Man" being alive led to chaos in South Africa, making Segerman and Bartholomew's documentary, "Searching for Sugar Man," win an Oscar. In 1998, the people of the nation got to witness him live, where he received a 10-minute-long standing ovation from the crowd, including his children, who were still trying to wrap their heads around their father's fame.
Shortly after, he did many tours in different countries, as well as collaborated with bands such as the Australian duo "Yolanda Be Cool," but continued to work in construction until 2013, living a humble life. He gave up most of the money he earned from these shows to his family, who supported his dreams. There was still no information about the royalties from his earlier record sales until a court case resolved this issue in 2022, before he died in 2023. While the exact number remains unknown, it must have been huge.
That's because, according to Martin Plaut, the artist sold a staggering 500,000 copies in South Africa alone through both his albums, outselling Elvis and the Rolling Stones in both New Zealand and Australia. According to RollingStone, when he came to Australia in 1979 and 1981 for concerts, he was treated like a god. At the same time, his album "Cold Fact" went 5x platinum in Australia. While a lot remains unknown about Rodriguez to this day, it is truly a relief that, before his death, he was able to witness the profound impact his music had on millions of lives.
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