Rodríguez

Bio

Sixto Rodriguez (born July 10, 1942, Detroit, Michigan) is a Mexican-American folk musician whose introspective songwriting and acoustic style earned him a cult following in the United States and, decades later, widespread acclaim abroad. After releasing two albums in the early 1970s that sold poorly at home, he largely withdrew from the music industry, working in construction and local politics while remaining unaware of his growing popularity in South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. His 1970 debut Cold Fact and 1971 follow-up Coming from Reality were rediscovered internationally in the 1990s, eventually leading to the 2012 documentary Searching for Sugar Man, which chronicled fans’ efforts to locate him. The renewed attention brought Rodriguez back to the stage for global tours and introduced his socially conscious songs to new generations. He died on August 8, 2023.