Tributes pour in for singer Sixto Rodriguez, dead at 81
Tributes for the legendary singer Sixto Diaz Rodriguez are pouring in as news of his death hits the music world and beyond. Rodriguez, as he was more commonly known, rose to fame as the subject of the documentary Searching for Sugar Man.
The news of the songwriter’s death was confirmed by Stephen ‘Sugar’ Segerman, who runs Rodriguez’s official website.
“We’ve confirmed with his daughter, Sandra, that he passed away yesterday, 8 August, at 17:30 Detroit time,” read the statement from Segerman. It was known that Rodriguez had been ill for some time after a stroke.
Rodriguez turned 81 last month and celebrated the event with a small gathering of musicians despite not being in “great shape”.
The site shared a message of sadness on its official Twitter page: “It is with great sadness that we at Sugarman.org announce that Sixto Diaz Rodriguez has passed away earlier today. We extend our most heartfelt condolences to his daughters – Sandra, Eva and Regan – and to all his family.”
As the subject of the famed documentary Searching for Sugar Man, the folk songwriter has gained a heap of musical followers, many of which have come out to pay tribute to the star.
Musician The Kiffness shared on Twitter: “A legend with the most amazing life story. In the US he lived in relative obscurity, but was hugely popular in here South Africa without him ever knowing until much later on. We will never witness a story like his in our lifetime again.”
Primal Scream bassist Simone Marie Butler said of the musician: “[I] was lucky to see him live at the Royal Albert Hall a few years ago. I’d say most of the audience including myself were in tears by the end. What a beautifully unique soul.”
Journalist Thomas Hobbs noted Roriguez’s mammoth impact: “Incredibly sad to hear that Rodriguez has passed away. Cold Fact and Coming From Reality are two of the greatest albums of the 1970s, and his story of experiencing delayed adulation/fame carries a romance that will never not be inspiring. RIP to a legend.”
Brian Jonestown Massacre leader Anton Newcombe also shared his tribute to the musician: “RIP Sixto Rodriguez – I’m happy your people found you before you passed on.”
See the tributes in full below.
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