Key takeaways:
- Singer-songwriter Sixto Rodriguez died on Tuesday in Detroit
- His songs protesting the Vietnam War, racial inequality, abuse of women and social mores inspired white liberals in South Africa
- The Oscar-winning documentary “Searching for Sugar Man” followed two South African fans who set out to discover what happened to their musical hero
Singer-songwriter Sixto Rodriguez, who was referred to as “the greatest protest singer and songwriter that most people never heard of” in a 2013 Associated Press story, died Tuesday in Detroit.
Rodriguez’s albums flopped in the United States in the 1970s, but unbeknownst to him, he later became a star in South Africa. His songs protesting the Vietnam War, racial inequality, abuse of women and social mores inspired white liberals horrified by the apartheid regime.
Rodriguez’s legacy would take off back home after the singer and songwriter became the subject of the Oscar-winning documentary “Searching for Sugar Man.” The documentary followed two South African fans who set out to discover what happened to their musical hero.
Rodriguez’s death was announced on the Sugarman.org website and confirmed Wednesday by his granddaughter, Amanda Kennedy. The singer-songwriter had performed at the Beacon Theatre in New York in 2013.
Rodriguez’s music and legacy will live on, inspiring generations of fans and musicians around the world.
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