Sixto Rodriguez

Sixto Diaz Rodriguez (also known as Rodríguez or as Jesús Rodríguez; born July 10, 1942) is an American folk musician based in Detroit, Michigan. His career initially proved short lived, with two little-sold albums in the early 1970s and some brief touring in Australia. Unbeknownst to him, however, his work became extremely successful and influential in South Africa, although he was mistakenly rumored in that country to have committed suicide. In the 1990s, determined South African fans managed to seek out and contact him, which led to an unexpected revival of his musical career. Their story is told in the 2012 Academy Award–winning documentary film, Searching for Sugar Man, which has also helped give Rodriguez a measure of fame in his native country. On May 9, 2013, Rodriguez received an honorary doctorate, a Doctor of Humane Letters degree, from his alma mater, Wayne State University (WSU) in Detroit, Michigan, during WSU's 10 a.m. commencement ceremony.