Rodriguez, a working-class songwriter, was lost to history — except in Australia and South Africa

Topic: Arts, Culture and Entertainment

Rodriguez sings into a microphone with a hat covering his eyes

Rodriguez spent decades in obscurity in the US, but found an audience in Australia. ( Reuters: Valentin Flauraud )

In the mid-1970s, Zev Eizik, an Israeli concert promoter living in Melbourne, flew to the United States to begin searching for Sugar Man.

Eizik was running Gaslight records in Melbourne and customers had been asking him about Cold Fact, the first album from a guy called Rodriguez. There was a word-of-mouth buzz.

But Eizik never had a copy to sell. Festival Records, a local label, had licensed Cold Fact, but the copies had run out years ago, and Rodriguez had since been dropped from his Detroit label, Sussex.

Eizik appealed to Clarence Avant, who owned Sussex, and negotiated renewed rights to release some of the music in Australia.

Rodriguez stands with his guitar

After poor record sales, Rodriguez was dropped from Sussex Records, which folded a few years later. ( Facebook: RodriguezMusic )

At that time, Rodriguez – who died this week aged 81 – had disappeared as a recording artist. But Eizik, with a reel-to-reel tape passed to him by Avant, released At His Best, a collection of songs from Cold Fact and the follow-up, Coming From Reality, plus some newer songs.

It blew up. According to the 2007 book The Mojo Collection , it went platinum in Australia, meaning it sold at least 50,000 copies.

That sent Eizik to the US the following year.

He wanted to find the unknown man behind this music.

Trying to get Rodriguez Down Under

Eizik found him tending pumps at a service station in Detroit.

"He wasn't in a good shape at that time," Eizik, now back living in Israel, recalled in an interview with the ABC in 2019.

"Physically, or mentally, he wasn't in a situation to take on concerts or touring."

A young Rodriguez in a collared shirt and glasses

The musician was known to be kind and gentle, and not interested in money. ( Facebook: RodriguezMusic )

At the time, Eizik was managing Midnight Oil and some other bands as part of his company, Australian Concert Entertainment, with the promoter Michael Coppel.

It took some effort to get Sixto Rodriguez into the space where he could tour, but it worked.

"We brought him to Australia with four musicians from Detroit and we put together [a band] to also back him," Eizik recalled.

"He got the shakes before the first concert."

The band had started playing the first song, and Rodriguez was supposed to join them after eight or 10 bars. Instead, "he ended up running to the bathroom because he was too emotional".

"Finally, we got him cleaned up and got him on stage, and when he got up on stage, he ended up singing a completely different song to what [the band] was playing at the time."

Audiences loved it anyway. Over the rest of the tour, the singer's confidence picked up.

It would be the first of many visits for Rodriguez to Australia — one of only two places to embrace the singer in those early years, before the Academy Award-winning documentary Searching For Sugar Man made him a global phenomenon at the age of 70.

Rumours on the other side of the world

The other country was South Africa.

There, Gallo Records had also licensed some of the music from Sussex and was selling it locally. The songs took off there, too.

For 20 years in that country — largely ostracised from the Western world because of its apartheid policies — rumours persisted that Rodriguez was dead, the victim of an overdose or a car accident.

Rodriguez sits on the porch of a house

An early photo of Rodriguez used on the cover of the compilation album At His Best. ( Facebook: RodriguezMusic )

It wasn't until the end of apartheid in the 1990s that the singer himself realised he was an adored figure in the African nation.

"In South Africa, we ended up doing arenas and stadiums, on the first tour, which was huge," says Eizik, who set up several tours for Rodriguez in South Africa in the 1990s.

By the end of that decade, though, Rodriguez didn't have enough new material to sustain more tours.

More than 40 years after those original recordings — songs like Sugar Man and I Wonder — Rodriguez would mention in interviews that new songs were on the way, that he was trying to give audiences something worthy of the wait and the new-found demand.

It never came.

The 'working-class' singer and the legal dispute

The documentary not only told the story of Rodriguez's unlikely star-power; it looked at whether the singer was stiffed for millions in royalty payments from albums he had no idea were selling so well.

In the years before his death, it seemed like justice was approaching.

Rodriguez was party to a lawsuit filed in the United States in 2014 by the producer Harry Balk, who had a deal with Rodriguez that gave him the rights to Rodriguez's songs.

Balk accused Avant of fraudulently withholding money by releasing Cold Fact with credits that said the songs were written by other, fictious people.

"Unaware of any level of success of Cold Fact, much less the iconic nature of the album, or the fact that his music became the anthem for anti-apartheid, or that he became on the level of The Rolling Stones in terms of mass popularity in South Africa, Rodriguez gave up his music, believing he was a failure," the legal complaint said.

That suit was settled in 2017 for an undisclosed amount. It's not clear how much Rodriguez received.

"Unbelievably kind, generous, and a person who could easily be taken advantage of," is how Eizik described him.

"Money wasn't a strong issue with him.

"He had never had money; he found it very difficult to deal with it at that time."

The singer, in an interview with RN in 2013, described himself as "working class", doing manual labour until at least 1998, and you can see that in his work.

Sugar Man is, of course, the same "man" Lou Reed was waiting for: The local drug dealer.

"Boy-girl themes are one thing, but I think the social issues started drawing me away from those kinds of [songs]," Rodriguez said.

A 'miracle' that it all came good in the end

You might think it's extraordinary Rodriguez never blew up in the US in the late 1960s or early 1970s, when he was playing local clubs and bars in Detroit. Cold Fact barely sold in the decades before the release of the documentary.

Actually, it's entirely ordinary. Plenty of great artists don't get the credit they deserve.

"I don't know if it was bad luck, bad management, bad promotion of the albums, or why it never happened all over the world in a big way then," Eizik says.

"What happened is that once Sussex folded, he obviously didn't find anyone else to back him up.

"With him, it is just the miracle that it worked out so many years after the original recordings."

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Rodriguez: 10 Things You Don’t Know About the ‘Searching for Sugar Man’ Star

By Andy Greene

Andy Greene

The Oscar-winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man tells the almost unbelievable story of a Mexican-American songwriter whose two early Seventies albums bombed in America, but who wound up finding a huge audience in Apartheid-era South Africa. Sixto Rodriguez had no idea he was a legend there until a group of fans found him on the Internet and brought him to the country for a series of triumphant concerts. But while Searching for Sugar Man ( soundtrack and  DVD  now available) is a fantastic film, it only grazes the surface of Rodriguez’s life story. Here are 10 things you may not know about Rodriguez:

Not only did he skip the Oscar ceremony – he was asleep when he won. Searching for Sugar Man director Malik Bendjelloul begged Rodriguez to attend the Oscars, but he refused, feeling it would take the attention away from the filmmakers. “We also just came back from South Africa and I was tired,” Rodriguez says. “I was asleep when it won, but my daughter Sandra called to tell me. I don’t have TV service anyway.” 

‘Searching for Sugar Man’ Documentary Uncovers Rodriguez’s  Secret Success

Australia discovered him before South Africa . A handful of copies of Rodriguez’s 1970 debut LP, Cold Fact , reached Australia months after the album bombed in America. One wound up in the hands of Australian radio DJ Holger Brockman, who began playing “Sugar Man” on 2SM radio in Sydney. Record stores started selling Cold Fact for upwards of $300, and Blue Goose records eventually released it to huge sales all across the continent. “Every single one of my friends had Cold Fact ,” says Midnight Oil drummer Rob Hirst. “We’d play Bruce Springsteen’s The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle , Billy Joel’s first album and Cold Fact .”

By the late 1970s, Australian concert promoters tracked down Rodriguez in Detroit. He arrived in Australia with his two teenage daughters for a 15-date tour in early 1979. “He was just stunned by what we put together for him,” promoter Michael Coppel told Billboard at the time. “He had never played a concert before, just bars and clubs.” He played to 15,000 people in Sydney, almost as many fans as Rod Stewart drew a few weeks earlier. “The man himself seemed almost embarrassed onstage,” noted Billboard . “He spoke no more than a dozen short lines throughout each show. When returning to the stage for an encore at his first Sydney show, he mumbled emotionally to his audience, ‘Eight years later . . . and this happens. I don’t believe it.'”

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A live album from the tour was released in 1981, right around the time he came back for a second tour. This time he shared the bill with Midnight Oil at some gigs. “I thought it was the highlight of my career,” Rodriguez says today. “I had achieved that epic mission. Not much happened after that. No calls or anything.” 

He’s earning crazy money right now . . . Rodriguez’s rediscovery by South Africans in 1998 allowed him to retire from the construction business. He returned to the country for shows every couple of years, and he also started gigging around Europe. Cold Fact was rereleased on CD and it slowly began finding an audience across the continent, though American success proved elusive. Searching for Sugar Man , however, changed everything, bringing Rodriguez to a previously unfathomable level of success. He was playing the 190-seat capacity Joe’s Pub in New York under a year ago. He soon graduated to the 700-seat Highline Ballroom, and his shows at Town Hall (1,500 seats), the Beacon Theater (2,900 seats) and Radio City Music Hall (6,000 seats) all sold out in minutes. They just booked him at Brooklyn’s 18,000-seat Barclays Center. 

And that’s just in New York City. He has over 30 shows across the world on the books right now, including Coachella and Glastonbury in England. “I call those money dates,” says Rodriguez. “I have a lot of commitments, and the list keeps growing. We have to strike while the iron is hot . . . The money, I must say, is obscene.” He’s not kidding. A recent string of shows in South Africa netted him over $700,000.

. . . and he’s giving away most of it. Rodriguez has lived in the same modest Detroit house for over 40 years. He has no car, computer or even a television. His daughter Regan forced him to get a cellphone a few years ago because she grew weary of driving around the neighborhood trying to track him down. “He lives a very Spartan life,” says Regan. “I almost want to call it Amish. He once told me there’s three basic needs – food, clothing and shelter. Once you get down to that level, everything else is icing.”

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He plans on giving much of his money to his three daughters and some old friends. “That’s his philosophy,” says Regan. “He takes great pleasure in giving it away, especially to people that supported him when he wasn’t a big commercial success. I do really wish he’d spend some of the money on himself, though.”

He nearly went to Vietnam. Despite being a pacifist, Rodriguez contemplated signing up for the army at the height of the Vietnam War. “It was the spirit of the times,” he says. “They have a war every 15 or 20 years, and there’s always a crop of youngbloods who don’t know this is happening. They’ve been inspired by the media. I love my country. It’s just the government I don’t trust.” He didn’t end up actually enlisting. “I had to fight my brother twice over that,” he says. “Also, I just got married, and they didn’t take people that were married at the time.”

He released a single in 1967 under the name Rod Riguez. In 1967, Rodriguez was working in a car factory and playing in Detroit’s coffee houses and bars by night. Local producer Harry Balk caught one of his shows and recorded his Donovan-inspired track “I’ll Slip Away” for Impact Records. (It was later re-recorded during the Coming From Reality sessions.) Balk changed his name to Rod Riguez. “It was his decision,” says Rodriguez, still wincing at the memory of seeing his name whitewashed. “He thought it would be more attractive.” 

He originally refused to appear in Searching for Sugar Man . First-time Swedish filmmaker Malik Bendjelloul first heard about Rodriguez while traveling through Africa. He originally planned on creating a short film for Swedish television, but the project slowly grew into a feature film. He decided to tell the story from the perspective of the South African fans. “Why did everyone think Citizen Kane was a fantastic movie?” he asks. “It’s because it was really smart. It didn’t tell the story about this rich guy. It told the story of a journalist who is trying to tell a story about a rich guy. That was the thing that hooked me in the beginning, that this story would be different.”

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There was only one problem: Rodriguez was very reluctant to appear in the movie. “His kids told me I could probably meet him, but I shouldn’t get my hopes up about an interview,” says Bendjelloul. “I went to Detroit every year for four years. He didn’t agree to be interviewed until my third visit. I think he only changed his mind because he felt kind of sorry for us. He saw how hard we were working and was like, ‘I think I better help these guys.'” 

He’s going blind. Rodriguez suffers from glaucoma, and it has dramatically limited his vision. As a result, he moves very slowly when he walks, and he’s usually clutching the someone else’s arm. “I’m still able to make out some people in the crowd at my shows,” he says. “It’s a condition that can be treated, though early detection is very important. I can still get around, but I take things slowly.” He calls himself a “solid 70 years old,” and his family is concerned about the physical toll of his constant traveling. “I always worry about him, and his health is one of my main concerns,” says his daughter Regan. “We book him first class and do everything we can to make it comfortable for him.” 

He has backing bands all over the world. Much like Chuck Berry , Rodriguez tours without a regular band. “I like to say that I do covers of my own songs,” he says. “And I have about a dozen bands all over the world. That’s no exaggeration. I have a South African band, an Australian band, Swedish bands, English bands, American bands. They’re all notable musicians, too.” On his recent Australian tour he was backed by the Break, which features former members of Midnight Oil. “His daughter Regan called us and she gave us a list of songs to rehearse,” says Break drummer Rob Hirst. “We’ll rehearse for a few hours when he comes into town. He doesn’t like to rehearse, so we’ll be flying by the seat of our pants at first.” 

He’s working on his long-awaited third album. There are only two Rodriguez albums: Cold Fact (1970) and Coming From Reality (1971). His priority right now is touring, but he’s also beginning to work on new songs . “I have a lot of titles and themes I’ve been working on,” he says. “I played with an orchestra on David Letterman recently. After doing that I know I can go in with a super album idea.” His daughter Regan hopes he follows through with it. “I’m super optimistic about that,” she says. “If you had asked me in the past year I would have said, ‘I don’t think so.’ But he’s been talking a lot about it. We’re even closer, but you shouldn’t count your chickens before they hatch.”

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From unsung talent to international star, the film ‘Searching For Sugar Man’ resurrected the legend of the once-forgotten singer-songwriter.

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Rodriguez

To paraphrase Tom Jones, it’s not unusual for anyone to make a great album – even two great albums – that don’t sell. It’s not unusual when that artist disappears after those albums flop. What is unusual is when those albums get rediscovered, making the artist an international star some four decades after the fact. That is why the story of Sixto Rodriguez is so inspiring.

Searching for Sugar Man

Thanks to the 2012 award-winning documentary Searching For Sugar Man , the story of Rodriguez is now a familiar one. The Detroit -based singer-songwriter releases two albums on the LA-based label Sussex Records in 1970 and 1971, respectively, which then somehow find their way to South Africa as imports long after the US versions have been deleted. Thousands of copies get bootlegged and the music touches a chord, not least because the anti-racist sentiments of some lyrics translate well to the anti-apartheid movement. Even anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko apparently owned copies, and you can’t ask for a better endorsement than that. Yet nobody knows who or where Rodriguez is. Rumors spread that he’d died in some spectacular way, and a few fans set out to discover the truth…

A rediscovery

Then the late Swedish director Malik Bendjelloul comes along and documents the efforts of two Cape Town fans to track Rodriguez down. He is, of course, not dead, just living quietly in the Detroit area, where he’s probably the only resident without a cell phone or an internet connection. Rodriguez comes to South Africa for a triumphant show, which provides the emotional climax of Bendjelloul’s movie Searching For Sugar Man .

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For most of the world, however, Rodriguez’s rediscovery happens because of the movie itself. The director wisely focused on certain songs throughout the film, making sure the most memorable ones got heard more than once. “Sugar Man” and “I Wonder” dealt with the still-resonant topics of the drug trade and sexual jealousy, and anyone seeing the film would come away with those songs in their head.

Sugar Man

A well-chosen soundtrack album (combining songs from the two studio albums, Cold Fact and Coming From Reality , plus a couple of outtakes) charted worldwide. The film won the Best Documentary Oscar in 2013 and Rodriguez toured nationally over the next several years, playing the early-70s material to an audience that never heard it the first time around.

Overshadowed in the 70s

But if Rodriguez was so good, why did his records initially flop? One possible explanation is that his label, Sussex, simply had its hands full: their star artist was Dennis Coffey, the great Motown guitarist who was then hitting with solo instrumentals while producing Rodriguez on the side (hence the psychedelic-soul flavor to Rodriguez’s albums). But the label had just signed another soulful, largely acoustic artist who perhaps had a little more star potential: Bill Withers. Or it could be because the pop world in 1971 was too much an embarrassment of riches?

Crucify Your Mind

For black music, this was the year of two game-changers: Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On and Sly And The Family Stone’s There’s A Riot Going On . Rockers had Who’s Next and The Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers to take in, and the songwriting world was about to be shaken up by a not-so-young upstart named David Bowie . In a climate of wall-to-wall brilliance, listeners were likely to greet a street poet like Rodriguez with a “been there, done that” kind of shrug. Brilliant songwriting was no longer enough to guarantee an audience, just ask Nick Drake (if you could), Judee Sill or Arthur Lee, whose masterpieces were also flying under the radar.

What the film missed

But as many viewers have pointed out, the movie got one thing wrong. He may have been obscure, but Rodriguez wasn’t completely ignored over the years. His songs were getting covered as early as 1977, the first artist to do so being Susan Cowsill, the former child star (and future member of Continental Drifters) who was then beginning a solo career. Rodriguez’s “I Think Of You” was the A-side of Cowsill’s single “The Next Time That I See You,” but it didn’t end up charting well. As a result of her interest, however, Cowsill’s current musical partner and husband, ace New Orleans drummer Russ Broussard, was part of the post-comeback tours Rodriguez did with a backing band.

It’s also true that Rodriguez’s international discovery began long before the film was made. It really began in Australia, where he toured successfully behind a compilation album, Rodriguez At His Best . This was the album most often counterfeited in South Africa, where Rodriguez first toured in 1998, putting those death rumors to rest. When he played there for the documentary, then, it was largely for an audience that already knew he was back. Meanwhile, in the US, Rodriguez albums were first reissued by the collector-friendly label Light In The Attic, three years before the movie’s release.

Wisdom from another era

It’s true, however, that hardly anyone in America heard Rodriguez before the release of the film: one of those quirks that makes pop culture so fascinating. Suddenly, listeners had a chance to discover an early-70s body of work and to hear it fresh, with no nostalgic associations.

Rodriguez’s trademark blend of folk and soul may have been considered low-key at the time of their release, but now sounded more familiar. It was no coincidence that Dave Matthews had been covering “Sugar Man.” The Detroit songwriter’s warnings about racism and political corruption (plus the jabs at hippie culture he took in songs like “A Most Disgusting Song”) may have been old news in 1971, but at the time of his rediscovery, they played as words of wisdom from another era.

A Most Disgusting Song

Rodriguez’s two seminal 70s releases, Cold Fact and Coming From Reality , have been reissued on vinyl and can be bought here .

Janine Harding

September 10, 2019 at 10:11 am

I discovered Cold Fact in 1991,then came Coming from Reality & the best of. Here we are, 28 years on & I still love every song,every sound,every word that comes from those golden pipes! Iv been extremely fortunate enough to have seen him in concert twice,Due to ill-health, His last Austrlian tour was cancelled, i would like to know how is his health, & will the tour be re-scheduled? God bless you Rodriguez! May you shine on! The Man,The Music,The Legend! Should be reserved, only for you!

Craig strydom

December 4, 2019 at 12:07 pm

Read Sugar Man: The Life, Death and Resurrection of Sixto Rodriguez (Penguin Random House) for the full story behind the making of Rodriguez’s two albums, the making of the move, Rodriguez’s life, and the story of how the two fans found their man.

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Legendary Sugar Man Rodriguez Slates In National Tour With Archie Roach

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More Rodriguez

Detroit soul/blues legend Rodriguez has announced his return to Australian shores this year with our very own Archie Roach along for the ride, for what will be one of his most expansive tours yet.

The focus of the Oscar-winning Searching For Sugar Man documentary, Rodriguez last toured Australia in 2014 but has been gracing our shores since the '70s before he really rose to prominence for his counter-culture lyricisms and politically charged songs.

Having recently played Coachella and Glastonbury, the 73-year-old will perform six shows in Australia this November, starting with Brisbane on 12 November. He'll be joined on all dates but Perth by singer/songwriter Archie Roach, who will have his tenth record Let Love Rule on offer.

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Sixto Diaz Rodriguez, also known as Rodríguez is an American folk musician from Detroit, Michigan who's career is the topic of successful documentary film 'Searching For Sugar Man'.

The beginning of his career could be described as a false start as his first two albums failed to sell well and he only ever performed two tours in Australia. However unbeknownst to Rodriguez, his music had become extremely successful in South Africa, at one time he had outsold the legendary Elvis Presley.

Thanks to the determination of his South African fan base, they contacted Rodriguez and told him of the success and adoration he has in the country in the 1990s. This encouraged the revival of Rodriguez's career and this touching encounter is documented in the 2012 Academy Award–winning documentary film 'Searching for Sugar Man'. The film went on to also win a BAFTA in 2013 for Best Documentary.

Since the release of the film, Rodriguez has enjoyed belated success in his home country. He has performed on the Late Show with David Letterman as well as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno over the past years. The soundtrack to the film 'Searching For Sugar Man' was a success around the globe and his original reissued albums charted in the US, Australia and across Europe upon rerelease in 2012.

He has had the opportunity to perform at some of the world's most famous festivals such as Glastonbury, Wilderness, Coachella and the Montreux Jazz festival thanks to his revived notoriety.

Live reviews

I was looking down from the balcony... and I was looking at the living definition of grace and beauty..

How his voice takes me home...every time. I hear him sing and I see W. Grand Blvd and 25th St.My neighborhood of the 60's and 70's comes back to life ... but , with it, comes a new sense of intimacy and closeness that I'm not use to feeling . I've forgotten how much my past (and present) is wrapped up in Southwest Detroit. Sixto is still there.Has always been.Always will be.I'm miles away in a different neighborhood.

.. So I sat there in my chair in the balcony, sipping my little plastic up of Gin and Tonic( twist of lime,included),

looking over the railing: looking straight into someone's heart, someone's life.. so full of memory and loves . At the corner of many of his memories, I see myself,... a chubby little Mexican-American kid, happily eating hot flour tortillas swathed in butter-- and sitting happily on Grandpa Santiago' Bagley St. front porch, watching Grampa watch me, smiling. He'd call out: "Goombi. I love my Goombi" and he'd pat my belly and laugh. Hot flour tortillas from Grampa's kitchen and his deep,vibrato laugh.Sixto's words and voice carry me home every time..

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RubenAvilio’s profile image

What a story. Rodriguez originally recorded and performed at the start of the ‘70s in what turned out to be a short-lived murmur of a career, despite two albums of classy, American folk-rock that many now hold equal to Dylan. He disappeared for decades and there were rumours of his death, until a couple of fans and filmmaker Malik Bendjelloul (RIP) decided to make a documentary about trying to locate him, as well as how he had become wildly popular in South Africa without the singer-songwriter’s awareness. That film was called Searching For Sugar Man and it was a touching miracle of a documentary, which resurrected the career of Rodriguez, now in his seventies.

I managed to get tickets to see his show at the Apollo in London when he came over in 2013 and the man put in a graceful if subdued performance, clad in his trademark black and sunglasses, gently strumming his guitar while a workman-like backing band beefed things up. Rodriguez was, is and always will be a mysterious artist, and it was pure magic to see him sing songs ‘I Wonder’ and ‘Sugar Man’ to a spellbound crowd, all becoming a part of Sixto Rodriguez’s incredible story.

cliverozario’s profile image

The almost unbelievable story of the dedication Rodriguez's fan base went to tracking him down in the hope to see the great man perform live again is really quite moving. Rodriguez now conducts his live show with a quiet dignity that makes tracks such as 'Crucify Your Mind' and 'You'd Like to Admit It' seem even more poignant.

Despite it being four decades since his heyday, the singer's voice is still incredibly powerful and he demonstrates his abilities during a cover of Nina Simone's 'Love Me Or Leave Me'. He reinvents this soulful number and the audience are evidently impressed with the rapturous applause he receives afterwards. He speaks fondly between songs about being brought out of retirement thanks to the documentary 'Searching for Sugarman' and thanks the audience for continuing to support his career. By his encore there is an unanimous feeling within the crowd that had Rodriguez never been rediscovered, they may never have had the opportunity to see the great performer live.

sean-ward’s profile image

After buying a ticket and looking forward to the concert with great anticipation...bucket list... I never got to attend!

I drove 3 1/2 hours to Toronto and tries to find parking near the venue. I couldn't find an entrance to the parking. I drive around for an hour or more missing the start of the concert. There were no helpful humans directing the cars. I have mobility issues. I couldn't find a place close enough to park and walk so I eventually haveyou knowing I had already missed half the concert and still couldn't find parking.

So frustrating! Spent ticket money and a tank of gas for nothing. 8 hours of my life I cannot get back and still I have not been able to see Rodrigues.

Bummed beyond belief.

EXAT’s profile image

Archie Riach opened the show but I didn't see him. Around 9pm an aboriginal man named Riverbank Frank ? talked /preached about indigenous people, the stolen generation & recited a poem.

Which was unexpected & I don't think that appropriate. This went on for too long about 15-20 mins a few people left.

Rodriguez started sound was much too low. Complained to staff who said that they had, had other complaints tonight & the previous night but nothing that they could do about it. No refunds. We had pretty good seats row H. Disappointing

lizzy-haire’s profile image

Very much enjoyed the show.

It was like sitting down with an old friend and listening to him play and sing songs from another time.

The audience members were true Rodriguez fans and showed their appreciation and respect for the man.

Arum Rae opened the show.A delightful surprise.A very versatile artist...Amy Winehouse and Ella Fitzgerald in one smooth and sultry package but with her own personal style.

gaye-wiggins’s profile image

U R THE BEST EVER SURE WISH I COULD OF SEEN MR RODRIGUEZ IN PONTIAC MI. PLEASE COME BACK !!! I LIVE IN DAVISON MI. SEEN MOVIE 2 TIMES LAST WK HAD TO ORDER 2 CDS. LOVE YOUR MUSIC NEVER HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT U COMING TO PONTIAC MI I WOULD OF BEEN 1ST ONE THERE. OMG I HAVE TO COME TO YOUR CONCERT. THANK U FOR YOUR WONDERFUL MUSIC✌✌✌✌✌

marieramirez’s profile image

Un concerto sicuramente non perfetto dal punto di vista tecnico, ma Rodriguez è davvero un personaggio magnetico, anche adesso che fatica a stare sul palcoscenico. Ripropone i successi dei suoi due album, intervallati con cover di pezzi rock degli anni 50 e 60, per un'ora e venti minuti di musica e poesia.

spanishjohnny72’s profile image

G'day from Oz

Unfortunately I still not seen the great man in concert. Was to see Rodriguez at Kings Park in Perth Western Australia but unfortunately he was ill and could not leave the states. So hope you all keep supporting the great man and I hope I see him in concert soon.

Darryl Hair

daz68-1’s profile image

A rare opportunity to see this gem of a musician. Always true to himself, he know how to connect with the audience and deliver his message, his compositions being of a supreme quality. I encourage everyone to rush and see him, and to watch as well the documentary, Searching for Sugar Man.

bogdanutanu’s profile image

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Rodriguez Concert Tickets - 2024 Tour Dates.

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Rodriguez announces australian tour dates.

searching_for_sugar_man.jpg

The self-taught guitarist is revered by many, and now, he will be back touring the nation alongside Australia’s own soul-singer Archie Roach. The Sugar Man’s passion and love for Australia has been no secret since first visiting our shores in the late 70’s.

Before rising to fame in his later years, the singer disappeared for almost 25 years in the late 70’s. The documentary Searching For The Sugar Man, highlighted and celebrated the history of the musician, which evidently brought about his belated success and fame in the U.S.     

The proclaimed Downtown Bob Dylan will be gracing us throughout November and December on his tour. Rodriguez last visit to Australia was in 2014, and saw additional shows being added due to high demand and constant venue upgrades in several states. The music icon will be returning later this year to play almost four decades of music accompanied by his band.

November 12 – Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Brisbane QLD November 15 – State Theatre, Sydney NSW November 19 – A Day On The Green – Bimbadgen, Hunter Valley NSW November 21 – Derwent Entertainment Centre, Hobart TAS November 25 – Plenary, Melbourne VIC November 29 – Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide SA December 10 – Kings Park & Botanic Garden, Perth WA  

For more information on tickets visit  Frontier Touring .

Mixdown Magazine

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REFUSED RETURNING TO AUSTRALIA IN 2017

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when did rodriguez tour australia

Rodriguez, Photo By Ros O'Gorman

Rodriguez Australian Dates Announced

by Paul Cashmere on August 22, 2014

in Live , News

Rodriguez will return to Australia in October.

Rodriguez last toured Australia in 2013 when he played a national tour and Bluesfest dates with The Break.

The Rodriguez story was partly told in the Oscar award winning movie ‘Searching For The Sugar Man’, although in his interview with Noise11 Rodriguez questioned the inaccuracy of the rumours of his death when he was actively touring in Australia in the 80s with Midnight Oil at the time.

Watch the video on Noise11.com: Rodriguez

Rodriguez Australian Tour Dates

Sunday October 19 Brisbane – Convention Centre Tuesday October 21 Sydney – Opera House Thursday October 23 Sydney – Opera House Saturday October 25 Melbourne – Palais Theatre Tickets: Ticketmaster, www.ticketmaster.com.au , 136 100 Wednesday October 29 Adelaide – AEC Theatre Friday November 7 Perth – Kings Park & Botanic Garden Tickets: Ticketmaster, www.ticketmaster.com.au , 136 100

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Tagged as: 70s , folk , Midnight Oil , music news , Niche , Rodriguez , The Break , USA

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Rodriguez History: Australian Tour 1979

“…the stuff that dreams are made of…”.

Australia 1979 tour handbill - Front | Thanks to Cathy Woods

  • March 15 – Dallas Brooks Hall, Melbourne
  • March 17 – Regent Theatre, Sydney
  • March 18 – Regent Theatre, Sydney
  • March 20 – Festival Hall, Brisbane
  • March 23 – Regent Theatre, Sydney
  • March 24 – Canberra Theatre, Canberra
  • March 26 – Festival Theatre, Adelaide
  • March 28 – Concert Hall, Perth
  • April 3 – Dallas Brooks Hall, Melbourne
  • April 6 – State Theatre, Sydney
  • April 7 – Civic Theatre, Newcastle (2 shows)
  • April 8 – Regent Theatre, Sydney

RODRIGUEZ ALIVE , RELEASED IN 1981

Rodriguez: Vocals, Acoustic guitar Steve Cooney: Guitar, mandolin (from Australia) Doug McDonald: Drums (from New Zealand) Jake Salazar: Bass José Guadiana: Flute

Jake and José were Americans who left three-quarters of the way through the tour and were replaced by an Australian Joe Creighton on bass. The local boys all came from the Mark Gillespie Band who were the support act.

…his aussie tour in 79 was an awesome experience… Stuart, Australia, May 1998
We will never forget the atmosphere and power of Rodriguez first Australian performance at Melbourne’s Dallas Brooks Hall on 15 March, 1979. (We have the “Alive” record released here and treasure it) Jason and Anne, Australia, April 1998

Sydney Morning Herald, 19th March 1979

Rodriguez – 10 years after by Ted Robinson

Rodriguez Regent Theatre

Rodriguez’s first Sydney concert was the stuff that dreams are made of. A man lost in time and space he reeled on to the stage to pick up the threads of a 10-year old career. A generally young audience on Saturday embraced both the myth and the man supporting his every move with astonishing warmth. He was theirs and they were his. Not such an unusual occurrence or at least until you know the Rodriguez story. A decade ago he made a couple of records in the United States. They went unnoticed and he turned his thoughts to other things: an academic life, social work; and unsuccessfully running for both local and State office. Unbeknown to him, his records continued to sell… and sell in Australia, where until recently his background has remained a total mystery and the subject of much conjecture. He has long since passed the cult stage with gold records, a published anthology of his writing and now nationwide sold-out concerts. This huge success has something of the fairy tale about it. Not only for Rodriguez, but for the two young Australian promoters who have seemingly pulled off an enormous gamble… to play Svengali to his Trilby.

Rodriguez writes (or wrote) simple but often dark songs of street life, drug culture and street life love. His neon-lit world celebrates characters that would be equally at home in Damon Runyon or William Burroughs. Some songs take the form of powerful commentaries and some are merely musings, most seem to somehow, almost inexplicably, touch the emotional pressure points of a young middle-class white Australian audience. Technically the night was sometimes shaky but more sound than you might expect from someone who virtually hadn’t performed for eight years. Someone plucked from innocent obscurity and delivered to the pressures of expectation and anticipation that surrounds the living legend. Whoops of joy and recognition greeted the introduction to each song, often a chord, feel or broken arpeggio was enough for the identification.

Even when he faltered in the introduction to a song and had to start again the spell remained intact. Ovation poured on ovation. Rodriguez sang his songs, hunched over his guitar and drank nervously from empty cups. Finally he told his audience “after ten years you gotta be kidding… I’m just an everyday person”

Rodriguez has several more Sydney concerts at the Regent and State theatres.

The Australian, 19th March 1979

Nervous virtuoso by Karen Hughes

Rodriguez was nervous. On Saturday night the house lights of the Regent Theatre dimmed and the band began to play but there was no sign of the tall, enigmatic Mexican singer. Suddenly from the wings he appeared, looking frail in a beige suit and open neck blue shirt carrying what appeared to be a student’s briefcase and a handful of music sheets. Hard core fans screamed, shouted and gleefully exchanged knowing smiles as Rodriguez, eyes downcast, but beaming excitedly, sat on his stool, turned side-on to the audience and after a sip of something soothing began the familiar opening to Street Boy. There was a collective sigh of relief as the phrases tumbled out with the same intensity that had enamoured listeners of his two solo albums. Obviously his talent had survived the changes of a decade completely intact.

Unused to playing large concert halls, Rodriguez managed to transform the Regent Theatre into a smoky intimate club. A kind of holy communion which only cult performers inspire was taking place…The only thing wrong was the singer’s own continuing nervousness — though he did eventually manage to move around the stage, face the audience and exchange jokes. Rodriguez sang and played his guitar with great authority and presence. The thunderous applause which greeted every number was modestly directed to his musicians. With him from America were Jake Salazar on bass guitar and José Guadiana on flute, though it was the Australians, guitarist and mandolin player Stephen Cluney ( actually Cooney ) and drummer Doug McDonald (both from the supporting Mark Gillespie Band), who provided the music’s real push.

Apart from a rare and strong empathy between performer and audience the music was the most important factor in the Rodriguez concert, a not insignificant fact in these days of glittering stage and lighting extravaganzas.

Perth 1979  I remember going to his Perth concert in 1979 because I loved Cold Fact. The concert was pretty disappointing and I said so in a review I wrote for the local evening newspaper, the Daily News. Rodriguez appeared to be right out of it, mumbling and carrying on like more excessively than Dylan in 1966. I wrote a scathing review which his daughter may have shown you. In hindsight, I should have been more tolerant. I look back on his music with great affection. I’m astonished and pleased to hear he is still on this earth and singing. Arthur Hanlon, May 2000
Steve Cooney  Fair play to you! I played guitar/ mandolin on the Australian tour in 1979 and my name is Cooney not Cluney! I was amazed at the Perth reviewer’s ‘repentence’! My abiding memories of Rodriguez are his sensitivity and vulnerability. I particularly remember a delicate moment when a gentle breeze blew his lyric sheets around, but he caught them so delicately; he and the wind seemed to be really at one… Steve (in Ireland), March 2001
My name is Jake Salazar.  I am the bass player who went to Australia with Rodriguez the first time around in 1979. What an experience it was for all of us. I am ecstatic although not surprised that Rodriquez is still making music and doing well as an entertainer. I got an email from someone who stumbled upon my name while visiting a website pertaining to Rod. It has been many years since that tour. I have nothing but admiration for him and feel honored to have worked with Rod. The thing we went through to prepare for that tour and the events leading to each concert were ritually rock and roll. Rod is a phenomenal song writer and composer. A composer who creates melodies that establishes lyrical visions. I remember the afternoon José Guadiana who was on the tour asked me if I would join him and return back to the US on account of him and Rod having a fall out. I tried to change José’s mind and I also tried to talk to Rodriquez but to no avail so we were both asked to leave. Basically, Rodriguez fired us both in the middle of the tour. I have always regretted what happened. I enjoyed being around Rodriguez, Connie and the kids. José Guadiana has since passed away and I haven’t done so bad after 3 Grammy Nominations as a record producer (1986, 1997 and most recently in 1999). I really hope that Rodriquez continues writing and performing his great songs. I will always be a fan and a friend. I would enjoy to someday jam with him again. Jake Salazar, USA, April 2001

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Rodriguez in Australia: peaking at the ripe old age of 72

when did rodriguez tour australia

Lecturer in Guitar, Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, The University of Melbourne

Disclosure statement

Ken Murray does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

University of Melbourne provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation AU.

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when did rodriguez tour australia

Searching for Sugar Man (2012) brought worldwide attention to the music of Detroit singer-songwriter Sixto Rodriguez . The academy award-winning documentary focused on the efforts of South African fans to track him down in the late 1990s and the resonance his songs had for many during the apartheid era.

Rodriguez also has a long-standing connection with Australian audiences, having toured the country in 1979 and 1981 and numerous times in recent years. He is back again, beginning his 2014 tour of Australia in Brisbane last Sunday night, riding a wave of international recognition following the success of Searching for Sugar Man.

Rodriguez’s place in the history of folk music

Rodriguez began his career in the late 1960s in a scene crowded with singer-songwriters, all hoping to be the next Bob Dylan or Paul Simon.

Dylan set the template for the modern day folk singer and charted new musical territory with The Band while expanding notions of the poetics of popular music. The most distinctive and successful artists of the next generation, such as Neil Young, Jim Croce and Paul Simon, developed very personal and often eclectic styles, forging a path away from Dylan’s influence.

when did rodriguez tour australia

On the other side of the Atlantic, British folk artists had been developing a distinct brand of musical fusions, drawing on indigenous folk elements, blues, classical and popular styles.

British guitarist Davy Graham pioneered these innovations and even brought North African flavours into his music, although his musical vision was perhaps best realised in the work of virtuoso Scottish guitarist Bert Jansch.

American and British artists influenced each other: both Dylan and Simon had fruitful visits to UK folk clubs in the early 1960s and were inspired by the music of English folk singer and guitarist Martin Carthy and others.

Rodriguez’s music

The story of Rodriguez’s disappearance and rediscovery as told in the 2012 documentary is particularly remarkable for a generation accustomed to instant global communications via the web.

Even more remarkable is that he has not released any new material since his first two albums Cold Fact (1970) and Coming from Reality (1971).

There are rumours of a new album in the works but to date he is best known for songs written and recorded in the early 1970s when he was still in his 20s.

Listening to Rodriguez’s Cold Fact I am reminded of how eclectic popular music was in the early 70s. There is gritty urban social commentary in songs such as Hate Street Dialogue , alongside the gentle swing of Inner City Blues and the psychedelic Sugar Man .

Sugar Man is Rodriguez’s signature tune and the recorded version features brass, woodwind and strings in a Beatles-inspired arrangement that indicates the extent of the investment in the album by the Sussex record label.

The mind-bending instrumental section shows that the psychedelic soundscapes of Hendrix, Pink Floyd and others influenced popular music of the early 1970s.

The second song on Cold Fact, Only Good for Conversation , is perhaps the most striking, with an angular riff that would make Deep Purple proud. The distorted guitar work of session musician Denis Coffey, from Detroit’s famed Funk Brothers, is front and centre in this bitter song.

Rodriguez rarely plays this song live now and prefers instead to include a wide range of covers in his concerts. The setlist is often decided on stage and covers can range from jazz standards such as I’m Gonna Live Till I Die to Dylan’s All Along the Watchtower to Midnight Oil’s Redneck Wonderland.

Like many singers of his generation the guitar was his accompaniment instrument of choice and he focused on developing his playing. It’s possible to hear echoes of his Hispanic musical heritage in his guitar playing.

Seeming to prefer a nylon string guitar to the folk singers’ standard steel-string, Rodriguez brushes the strings with the backs of his fingers rather than using a plectrum and the sound is often percussive. He keeps his accompaniments unpredictable by adding accents and building dynamics.

when did rodriguez tour australia

Vocally he has a direct and penetrating vocal delivery that is his most direct connection with the audience. As Midnight Oil’s Rob Hirst observes , the voice is always “dead centre in the mix”.

Rodriguez retains a close connection to his audiences in Australia and South Africa. The affection for Rodriguez in Australia is evident on the 1979 live recording Alive , made in Sydney. Every song is cheered enthusiastically and Rodriguez comes across as a confident performer at the top of his game.

His shows might now be a little more relaxed and reflective but they are a chance to hear a unique folk singer who is enjoying a career peak at the ripe old age of 72.

Rodriguez’s Australian tour continues in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.

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Rodriguez Announces Australian Tour Dates With Archie Roach

By Mike Hohnen

Rodriguez , one of the most enigmatic and interesting artists in recent memory, has announced his return to Australia for a run of shows throughout November and December. All of the shows will see Rodriguez joined by our very own music luminary Archie Roach.

Australians seem to have ‘got’ Rodriguez before much of the world, who largely had to wait until the 2012 documentary Searching For Sugarman , bringing him Down Under for his first tour way back in the ’70s. The love still flows strong with the legend truly putting in the rounds upon his return which will include a stop off at A Day On The Green in the Hunter Valley.

Now more than four decades since the release of his debut album Cold Fact , the tale of Rodriguez remains as intriguing as ever. Lost in the noise of the Detroit scene at the time, Rodriguez first two albums were mostly swept under the rug. That is, until they made their way to South After where they would go on to give voice to the socio-economic struggles of the region.

The inimitable will also be performing at A Day On The Green where the two join the likes of Xavier Rudd and Russell Morris on the line up.

Archie Roach will be sporting his forthcoming new album Let Love Rule , set for release on September 23rd. As his tenth studio album, Let Love Rule is set to explore the theme of love.

“I wanted to write about love, or a willingness to love all people,” says Archie. “We are closing ourselves off and not letting people in. And not just in the sense of not letting them into the country, but not letting them into our hearts, into our minds. Many of the songs on the album are really a call for understanding.”

UPDATE 13/07/16:  Rodriguez has announced a second Sydney show due to massive pre-sale demand.

UPDATE 15/07/16: Rodriguez has announced a third Sydney show to keep up with demand. Catch updated tour details, below.

Watch: Rodriguez – Sugar Man https://youtu.be/qyE9vFGKogs

Rodriguez Australian Tour Dates with Archie Roach Tickets available Thursday, 14th July

Saturday, 12th November Convention & Exhibition Centre, Brisbane (AA) Tickets: Ticketek

Monday, 14th November State Theatre, Sydney (AA) Tickets: Ticket Master

Tuesday, 15th November State Theatre, Sydney (AA) Tickets: Ticket Master

Wednesday, 16th November – NEW SHOW State Theatre, Sydney (AA) Tickets: Ticket Master

Saturday, 19th November A Day On The Green, Tickets: Ticket Master

Monday, 21st November Derwent Entertainment Centre, Hobart (AA) Tickets: Ticket Master 136 100

Friday, 25th November Plenary, Melbourne (AA) Tickets: Ticket Master

Tuesday, 29th November Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide (AA) Tickets: Ticket Master

Saturday, 10th December Kings Park & Botanic Gardens, Perth (AA) Tickets: Ticket Master

Mike Hohnen

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While the pair were photographed attending the singer’s Eras tour at Wembley Stadium in June, it is alleged that Lady Victoria – and several cabinet members – also acceped free tickets to another of the star’s concerts in August.

Wes Streeting, Darren Jones and Bridget Phillipson also declared their tickets and they have appeared on their register of member’s interests.

Although it is within the rules for MPs to accept gifts and tickets, Sir Keir has been facing questions over the numerous gifts he has accepted after initially failing to declare a £5,000 donation from ex-Asos chair Lord Waheed Alli to pay for dresses for his wife.

His register of interests shows the PM accepted some £65,000 in tickets in the nine months to May. He has previously said that he requires hospitality tickets to watch Arsenal play football as he is now unable to sit in the stands without security.

when did rodriguez tour australia

Rwanda plan was worse than transporting convicts to Australia, says John Major

Former Tory prime minister Sir John Major has lambasted the scheme pursued by Rishi Sunak’s government to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda as “un-Conservative, un-British ... and unconscionable”.

Sir John told the BBC he had not made any public pronouncements for some time because he found little to like about the last Tory government, describing the plans first set in motion by Boris Johnson to fly asylum-seekers to East Africa as worse than the 18th century deportations of convicts to Australia.

And, in a devastating assessment of Brexit, he agreed with former Labour prime minister Sir Tony Blair that far from reducing immigration as promised by Nigel Farage , Boris Johnson and others, it had in fact increased immigration and replaced Europeans with more people from other parts of the world.

Our political editor David Maddox has more in this report:

when did rodriguez tour australia

Tory Rwanda plan was worse than transporting convicts to Australia, says John Major

Migrants Scheme Proposed by Boris Johnson was ‘unConservative and unBritish’ says former PM. ‘At least felons sent to Australia in 1800s had a trial,’ he adds. Major also attacks ‘reckless’ Tories who want party to merge with Reform UK and says Nigel Farage should be banned from joining the Conservatives.

Ed Davey says he would like to see Kamala Harris defeat Trump

Sir Ed Davey said he would like to see Kamala Harris defeat Donald Trump at the US election in November.

People who are “decent, kind, united” are “the true patriots in our country”, the Liberal Democrat leader told delegates and activists at the Lib Dem conference Brighton.

Sir Ed added: “Conference, we will never stop applauding our patriots in our country. Conference, these are the values our politics needs now, more than ever to resist the rise of the extremists - not just at home but around the world too.

“With Vladimir Putin waging his brutal war in Ukraine, with the terrible humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, Hamas’s terrorist atrocities on October 7, hostages still held captive, the continuing illegal occupations, and the threat of regional escalation, with the looming spectre of a second Trump presidency.

“How I hope and pray to see Kamala Harris defeat him this November. At a time of such instability and uncertainty, it is our values that must prevail: decency, compassion, community, respect for the rule of law.”

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IMAGES

  1. Sugar Man is back! Rodriguez announces Australia tour dates

    when did rodriguez tour australia

  2. Rodriguez History: 41 Years Ago he was touring Australia

    when did rodriguez tour australia

  3. Rodriguez to Tour Australia and New Zealand, tickets go on sale

    when did rodriguez tour australia

  4. Rodriguez announces 2019 Australian tour

    when did rodriguez tour australia

  5. 'Sugar Man' Sixto Rodriguez's Australian tour 2019

    when did rodriguez tour australia

  6. scenestr

    when did rodriguez tour australia

COMMENTS

  1. Australia was early in embracing Rodriguez, a talent chewed up by the

    "In South Africa, we ended up doing arenas and stadiums, on the first tour, which was huge," says Eizik, who set up several tours for Rodriguez in South Africa in the 1990s.

  2. Sixto Rodriguez

    Sixto Diaz Rodriguez (July 10, 1942 - August 8, 2023), mononymously known as Rodriguez, was an American musician from Detroit, Michigan.. Though his career was initially met with little fanfare in the United States, he found success in South Africa, Australia (touring the country twice in his earlier career), and New Zealand. Unbeknownst to him for decades, his music grew extremely ...

  3. Rodriguez Concert & Tour History

    Rodriguez Concert History. Rodriguez (born Sixto Diaz Rodriguez, in Detroit, Michigan, July 10, 1942 - August 8, 2023) was a singer-songwriter and guitarist who built a large following throughout Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. He released his debut single "I'll Slip Away" in 1967 as "Rod Riguez." In 1970, he released his debut studio ...

  4. Rodriguez History: 41 Years Ago he was touring Australia

    OCT 10 1981 - Brisbane Festival Hall, Brisbane, Australia. OCT 7 1981 - Hobart Town Hall, Hobart, Australia. OCT 2 1981 - Tanelorn Music Festival 1981. SEP 26 1981 - Bridgeway Hotel, Adelaide, Australia. SEP 25 1981 - Stage Door, Adelaide, Australia. SEP 23 1981 - Ferntree Gully Hotel, Melbourne, Australia.

  5. SugarMan.org: Rodriguez

    Sydney Morning Herald, 19th March 1979. Rodriguez - 10 years after. by Ted Robinson. Rodriguez Regent Theatre. Rodriguez's first Sydney concert was the stuff that dreams are made of. A man lost in time and space he reeled on to the stage to pick up the threads of a 10-year old career.

  6. Rodriguez: 10 Things You Don't Know About the ...

    Here are 10 things you may not know about Rodriguez: Not only did he skip the Oscar ceremony - he was asleep when he won. ... Australian concert promoters tracked down Rodriguez in Detroit. He ...

  7. Why 'Sugar Man' Sixto Rodriguez is so sweet on Australia

    Sixto Rodriguez will tour Australia for the fifth time in 2019. "That's been helping me tremendously," he says, playing a joyful burst of guitar and harmonica down the phone to underline the point.

  8. How 'Searching For Sugar Man' Unearthed The Legend Of Rodriguez

    It really began in Australia, where he toured successfully behind a compilation album, Rodriguez At His Best. This was the album most often counterfeited in South Africa, where Rodriguez first ...

  9. Rodriguez: Sugar Man Returns To Australia

    Legendary singer-songwriter Rodriguez will tour Australia in October. Rodriguez's unique story was made into an Oscar Award winning documentary in 2012 called 'Searching For Sugar Man'. It tells the story of Rodriguez's history that began with him playing in bars and clubs around Detroit in the 1960s, and ultimately saw him reach ...

  10. Alive: SugarMan.org

    RODRIGUEZ: A LIVE FACT I've been to a couple of Rodriguez concerts lately. Much to my regret, I wasn't in Cape Town and I won't be at Woodstock 3. Instead, I've been listening to two live concert recordings: 'Rodriguez Alive' from Australia in 1979, and 'Live Fact' (South Africa 1998).

  11. Searching for Rodriguez, the elusive Sugar Man

    After contacting the fan website, Rodriguez performed a critically acclaimed tour of six concerts, which attracted thousands of fans. A documentary called Dead Men Don't Tour: Rodriguez In South Africa appeared on a popular television channel, SABC, in 2001. In 2012, a documentary called Searching For Sugar Man premiered at the Sundance Film ...

  12. Legendary Sugar Man Rodriguez Slates In National Tour With Archie Roach

    The focus of the Oscar-winning Searching For Sugar Man documentary, Rodriguez last toured Australia in 2014 but has been gracing our shores since the '70s before he really rose to prominence for ...

  13. Rodriguez's career was revived in Australia

    The Rodriguez fan club grew across Australia and by March 1980 he was touring here for the first time with a mix of Detroit musicians and some locals including Melbourne's Steve Cooney.

  14. SugarMan.org: Rodriguez Rocks: Live in Australia: SugarMan.org

    Released 18 November 2016, Inertia - ROD001. Recorded live in Australia during the 2014 tour. Press Releases Rodriguez Rocks: Live in Australia. Sixto Rodriguez, the legendary icon responsible for ageless classics such as "Sugar Man," "I Wonder" and "Climb up on My Music," releases a new live album comprised of recordings taken from his wildly successful 2014 tour of Australia.

  15. Rodriguez Tour Dates & Concert History

    List of all Rodriguez tour dates and concert history (1995 - 2021). Find out when Rodriguez last played live near you. ... Australia and across Europe upon rerelease in 2012. He has had the opportunity to perform at some of the world's most famous festivals such as Glastonbury, Wilderness, Coachella and the Montreux Jazz festival thanks to ...

  16. Rodriguez Announces Australian Tour Dates

    The proclaimed Downtown Bob Dylan will be gracing us throughout November and December on his tour. Rodriguez last visit to Australia was in 2014, and saw additional shows being added due to high demand and constant venue upgrades in several states. The music icon will be returning later this year to play almost four decades of music accompanied ...

  17. Rodriguez Australian Dates Announced

    Rodriguez will return to Australia in October. Rodriguez last toured Australia in 2013 when he played a national tour and Bluesfest dates with The Break. The Rodriguez story was partly told in the ...

  18. Rodriguez History: Australian Tour 1979

    Sydney Morning Herald, 19th March 1979. Rodriguez - 10 years after by Ted Robinson. Rodriguez Regent Theatre. Rodriguez's first Sydney concert was the stuff that dreams are made of. A man lost in time and space he reeled on to the stage to pick up the threads of a 10-year old career.

  19. Rodriguez Australian Tour Announced

    Rodriguez Australian Tour Announced. August 22, 2014. By Nastassia Baroni. The now legendary Detroit-based singer-songwriter Rodriguez will head back to Australia this October and November for a ...

  20. Rodriguez in Australia: peaking at the ripe old age of 72

    Rodriguez performing with his band at The Corner Hotel in Melbourne, April 2007. Wikimedia Commons. Rodriguez's Australian tour continues in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. Searching for ...

  21. Rodriguez Announces Australian Tour Dates With Archie Roach

    Australians seem to have 'got' Rodriguez before much of the world, who largely had to wait until the 2012 documentary Searching For Sugarman, bringing him Down Under for his first tour way ...

  22. Rodriguez Announces Australian Tour

    THE Rodriguez is coming back to Australia. Touring nationally this October and November, the 72-year-old enigmatic legend was last here in 1981 playing...

  23. Olivia Rodrigo tickets

    Wed 9 Oct 2024 Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, VIC: Thu 10 Oct 2024 Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, VIC: Sun 13 Oct 2024 Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, VIC: Mon 14 Oct 2024 Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, VIC: Thu 17 Oct 2024 Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, NSW: Fri 18 Oct 2024

  24. UK politics live: John Major says Rwanda scheme was 'un-British' as

    Sir John Major says Rwanda scheme was worse than 18th century deportations of convicts to Australia . ... says Rwanda scheme was 'un-British' as Lady Starmer 'gifted Taylor Swift tickets' ...