Sixto Diaz Rodriguez, commonly known as Rodriguez, was an American singer and songwriter who died at the age of 81.
His granddaughter, Amanda Kennedy, announced his death on Wednesday (Aug. 09) in Detroit, Michigan, in the United States.
The musician, who was barely recognized in his home country, rose to prominence in South Africa, where his songs condemning the Vietnam War, societal norms, women’s maltreatment, and racial inequity were hits.
Some of them were forbidden by the Apartheid state, and many bootleg versions on tapes and later CDs were manufactured.
Rodriguez’s records flopped in the United States, although he was a great sensation in South Africa in the 1970s and again later with the release of a documentary in 2012.
The Oscar-winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man tells the story of two South Africans on a mission to find out what happened to their musical idol.
After his singing career faded, Rodriguez focused on raising a family and running unsuccessfully for public office. The underground folk musician supported himself through laborious labor.
His socially concerned lyrics and distinct blend of psychedelic folk rock were also well received in Australia and New Zealand.