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Sixto Rodriguez has died
- BallinBige 3y agoSouthwest Detroit
- glouwbug 3y agoThe South African Bob Dylan. RIP
- n4r9 3y agoAlthough famous in South Africa, he was Mexican-American and grew up in Detroit. But I agree that his music is up there with Dylan!
- ljlolel 3y agoIt’s a great documentary!
- tibbydudeza 3y agoWeird story that (I am South African) but my wife is a fan. In the end I am glad he realized that his music meant something to lots of people in a country down by the southern tip of Africa - think he toured here as well.
- elwell 3y ago> Weird story that (I am South African) but my wife is a fan. I must see this with punctation! Here's my best guess: "Weird story, that! I am South African, but my wife is a fan."
- tibbydudeza 3y agoEnglish is my second language bro - tenses and ridiculous spelling rules was hard enough :).
- elwell 3y agoI'm just enjoying how your British accent came through over text.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- shortformblog 3y agoPersonal hero of mine. I've been so goddamn sad about this.
- ughitsaaron 3y agoIn the early-mid aughts I volunteered at an anarchist bookstore in Detroit. One day, this guy comes in to tell us about a show he’s playing. He’s holding a promotional poster for it. “So you want to put the poster up? No problem!” “No, man. This is the only poster I have. I’m just going around to show it to people and let them know.” Later, someone told me his name was Rodriguez. I thought that was so funny at the time, but even more so after the success of “Searching for Sugarman.” Rest in peace.
- zokula 3y ago[dead]
- pgt 3y agoFrom 2006–2012 I ran an online music store with 3 cofounders called Rhythm Music Store (seeded by the Rhythm Records catalog). It was our first startup and we were way too early (mind you, this was before Spotify or Facebook - fb only launched in ZA in 2007). It was great - R7 a song, DRM-free buy-to-own MP3s with dial-up Internet, but too early. Anyway, one of the cofounders was musicologist Brian Currin. Brian has been running the official Rodriguez website (sugarman.org) I believe since the 90s. Together with Stephen Segerman, they found Rodriguez in Detroit and had him come to South Africa, where he was more popular than in his own country. The story goes that his daughter found the Sugarman forums and said, "I am Rodriguez's daughter." That started him touring. In 2012 I got to see Rodriguez perform live at Grand West in Cape Town, South Africa. Out of the crowd a lady adulated, "Rodriguez, we love you!" Sixto answered, "I know that's the beer talkin', but I love ya' back." The crowd cheered. Rodriguez then mused, "You wanna' know the secret ta'life?" "Yes, Rodriguez! Tell us," the crowd bellowed. "Breathe in. Breathe out." And Rodriguez breathed out. Rest in peace, Rodriguez. (edit: formatting. @dang pleaaase can we get markdown line endings?)
- antidaily 3y agoHe lived in Detroit, working construction for many years. I know someone who worked with him for a bit.
- parabyl 3y agoSegerman's recordshop is still running and an icon in the Cape Town music scene! https://mabuvinyl.wordpress.com/ https://mabuvinyl.wordpress.com/
- d13 3y agoYup, Stephen Segerman actually came by for tea at my place a couple of times when I was living in Cape Town and heavily part of the music scene. He stocked a handful of my super-indie self produced classical sitar CDs. Amazing supporter of local music.
- armadsen 3y agoI go out of my way to visit it when I’m in Cape Town. Wonderful little spot.
- kramerger 3y agoRIP I wonder if he ever received any money for all those records he sold without knowing about it
- disposition2 3y agoFrom what I have seen and read, no and he didn't seem to dwell on it much. But he did do some touring after the documentary and I imagine he received profits from that...or at least I hope so as it was a good show and I enjoy listening to my copy of 'Cold Fact' [1] 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_Fact https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_Fact RIP indeed. He was a poet and I still get chills sometimes while listening to his music / words.
- aconbere 3y agoI heard Stephen Segerman on NPR yesterday say that he eventually took his crooked manager to court and got the money from the record sales.
- deepinthewoods 3y agoThere's a part in the documentary where they're interviewing the record label owner and when they ask him about it he immediately flips out and ends the interview.
- mav88 3y agoSaffer here who was privileged to see him live in Johannesburg. RIP man.
- defrost 3y agoCold Fact charted in Australia for more than a year back in '79|80 ish .. he toured Australia at that time and I once had a TDK90 bootleg cassette tape recorded by a friend of the family who made it there. Hugely popular here at the time .. I was surprised later to find out he was almost wholly unknown in the USofA until after the dco came out. R.I.P. Sixto.
- mmaunder 3y ago“Sugar man you're the answer That makes my questions disappear” RIP. Sugarman man was one of our anthems in Cape Town growing up.
- donretag 3y agoI spent 3 months in South Africa, primarily in Cape Town. Visted Mabu Vinyl, but sadly did not purchase anything (was backpacking, so traveling light). Owner was lovely. The documentary is not exaggerating the fact that Rodriguez was immensely popular in South Africa. Heard his music playing on iPods in bars, young 20 somethings that not only listened to him, but so did their parents. The movie does exaggerate his disappearance. Rodriguez toured Australia, so he knew he had some popularity. A few years later, I met the owner of Light in the Attic records, the reissue label that repressed Rodriguez's albums. They acquired the rights before the documentary, and even they were amazed at the popularity of his music after the movie. He told basically that Rodriguez paid for his house due to the sales.
- pistoriusp 3y agoWhat's interesting is that we, South Africans, had no idea that he wasn't a worldwide sensation, because he is so commonplace in our culture that we assumed he was a mega-star.
- deepinthewoods 3y agoI dunno about that, every time Sugar man or I Wonder started playing when I was growing up, someone would tell me "This guy isn't famous anywhere else! No-one even knows where he is!". I must have been told this factoid 20 times when I was a teenager.
- pistoriusp 3y agoHmmmmm... In which decade where you a teenager?
- gorlilla 3y agoMost likely their second decade.
- Sporktacular 3y ago
- anderber 3y agoI remember when I saw the documentary for the first time. I was really moved and was heartbroken by his story. What an incredible person and what incredible music.
- cphoover 3y agoI get the feeling Sixto Rodriguez preferred somewhat of an ascetic lifestyle. He seemed totally unfazed by the prospect of stardom. He also seems not to have really made an attempt to capitalize on his modest success. He must have known he had some level of success since he toured in Australia in the late '70s. I get the feeling he is the type of person who chose a modest lifestyle of hard work as a more honest way to live.
- gcanyon 3y agoIn the end the greatest gift is to touch other peoples' lives. That he didn't know he had for so long is sad, but that he eventually found out is joyful.
- sgt 3y agoDidn't see him live in Cape Town but I remember there was quite a ruckus. People were super excited.
- Sporktacular 3y agoThis is sad news. First heard him in 95 off a copy of a copy of a bootleg tape along with the usual 'he killed himself onstage' enigma story. His lyrics were powerful. Now he's really gone. RIP man.
- actionfromafar 3y agoThe guy who made the movie did kill himself.
- dorkwood 3y agoI had to look this up. Looks like he won an academy award for the documentary in 2013, and then a little over a year later jumped in front of a train. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malik_Bendjelloul https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malik_Bendjelloul
- Sporktacular 3y agoIt was a nice story but it felt a bit deceptive to suggest Rodriguez didn't know he was a big deal at the time. He toured many countries after the release of his albums. He didn't fade into obscurity when his albums didn't sell like the movie suggested.
- rurban 3y agoMet him on the movie promo tour at Sundance and SXSW. Extremely cool guy, who played the guitar Jimmy Hendrix style. Extremely long fingers wrapping over.
- AstroJetson 3y agoIn the mid-2010's he was touring with one of the Beach Boys (I think Brian Wilson) They came to the Philly Mann Center, we got awesome seats. We chatted with the people next to us, they were bummed that their friends couldn't get seats with them. We watched Rodriguez play his set. He played almost an hour, it was a great set. Handed our stubs to the people next to us and said "We are leaving, we just came to see Rodriguez." They were thrilled.