Sixto Rodriguez has died | Hacker News Reader

Sixto Rodriguez has died

abcnews.go.com

202 pointsbrudgers46 comments

From 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?)

He lived in Detroit, working construction for many years. I know someone who worked with him for a bit.

Segerman's recordshop is still running and an icon in the Cape Town music scene! https://mabuvinyl.wordpress.com/

Yup, 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.

I go out of my way to visit it when I’m in Cape Town. Wonderful little spot.

In 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.

I 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.

What'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.

I 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.

Hmmmmm... In which decade where you a teenager?

Most likely their second decade.

Nice.

In SA, were his fans mainly white, Coloured, or Black, or did he have an appeal across the country's ethnicities? (If the latter, I would be surprised, because when I cycled across SA for several months and stayed with members of all three groups, their respective communities' tastes in music seemed very different.)

I think his songs resonated largely with white people who had a progressive viewpoint against the apartheid government.

That is indeed surprising, because one thing I was told time and time again in SA -- and mostly by white people -- is that there simply wasn't white opposition to apartheid outside of a tiny handful (and old white people claiming today to have opposed it back then are hardly to be taken seriously). But Sixto records went platinum, so his audience must have encompassed many more white people.

> and old white people claiming today to have opposed it back then are hardly to be taken seriously

Sounds almost like you are trolling.

There are number of ways of opposition. Most people just want to get on with their lives though and you don't have the time nor energy to protest. There were tons of different viewpoints from all population groups. It's not as black and white as you've been reading on the Internet.

> It's not as black and white as you've been reading on the Internet.

As I said, my understanding has been formed by what I was told by local people while in SA. I have never actually read much about this matter on the internet.

Well, "people with a progressive viewpoint" is not exactly the same thing as "organised opposition".

The first is nigh inevitable for some percent of the population. The second is not. In fact a repressive state will turn it's efforts into preventing such people connecting, organising, etc. Giving them the message that it is best for them to keep their heads down and keep quiet, and not join a "movement".

That is why, in repressive state, any non-state social movement would be viewed a potential threat, even if it claims to be not political at all.

Cold 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.

Weird 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.

> 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."

English is my second language bro - tenses and ridiculous spelling rules was hard enough :).

I'm just enjoying how your British accent came through over text.

“Sugar man you're the answer That makes my questions disappear”

RIP. Sugarman man was one of our anthems in Cape Town growing up.

In 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.

Personal hero of mine. I've been so goddamn sad about this.

This 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.

The guy who made the movie did kill himself.

I 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

It 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.

In 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.

I 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.

Saffer here who was privileged to see him live in Johannesburg. RIP man.

The South African Bob Dylan. RIP

Although famous in South Africa, he was Mexican-American and grew up in Detroit. But I agree that his music is up there with Dylan!

RIP

I wonder if he ever received any money for all those records he sold without knowing about it

From 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

RIP indeed. He was a poet and I still get chills sometimes while listening to his music / words.

I heard Stephen Segerman on NPR yesterday say that he eventually took his crooked manager to court and got the money from the record sales.

Is it weird that Segerman is similar to Sugarman?

IIRC in the doc he says it was his nickname (from the song), and presumably that's one of the reasons interest in Rodriguez stuck with him.

There'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.

I 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.

It’s a great documentary!

Met 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.

Didn't see him live in Cape Town but I remember there was quite a ruckus. People were super excited.

Southwest Detroit

Reply on news.ycombinator.com