Sixto Rodriguez: Searching for Sugar Man singer dies aged 81

Sixto Rodriguez, the instrumentalist and taxable of the documentary Searching for Sugar Man, has died aged 81.

The Detroit-born singer's authoritative website confirmed helium died connected Tuesday.

Rodriguez launched his vocation successful 1967 but initially struggled to find occurrence successful his autochthonal US and was yet dropped by his grounds label.

However, his euphony gradually developed a cult pursuing overseas, and his records enjoyed important income and airplay successful South Africa and Australia.

In 2012, the Oscar-winning Searching for Sugar Man saw 2 South African fans way Rodriguez down to spot what had go of him.

Little was known astir Rodriguez successful the state contempt his euphony being truthful popular, and mendacious rumours had circulated that the vocalist had killed himself connected signifier successful the 1970s.

But Rodriguez was successful information inactive live and good and surviving successful Detroit, having returned to a beingness of comparative obscurity and operation work.

He was unaware of his popularity abroad, which partially stemmed from bootlegged copies of his medium Cold Fact circulating successful South Africa, wherever it been adopted arsenic an unofficial soundtrack to younker protests against apartheid.

Despite his occurrence successful the country, Rodriguez lone recovered retired astir his occurrence successful South Africa erstwhile his eldest daughter, Eva, came crossed a website dedicated to him successful 1997 - erstwhile the net was inactive successful its comparative infancy.

After contacting the website, Rodriguez went connected his archetypal South African tour. The Mexican-American vocalist and guitarist was playing sold-out shows successful the country's biggest arenas and went connected to execute a drawstring of shows successful Australia.

The merchandise of the Sugar Man documentary successful 2012, which depicted the communicative of Rodriguez discovering his ain fame overseas, saw his vocation bask different resurgence, and helium began touring and signaling erstwhile again.

The movie prompted the 2 albums Rodriguez recorded successful the aboriginal 1970s - Cold Fact and Coming From Reality - to go palmy astir the satellite 4 decades aft their archetypal release, and Rodriguez played festivals including Coachella and Glastonbury.

A connection posted connected his authoritative website read: "It is with large sadness that we astatine Sugarman.org denote that Sixto Diaz Rodriguez has passed distant earlier today.

"We widen our astir heartfelt condolences to his daughters - Sandra, Eva and Regan - and to each his family. Rodriguez was 81 years old. May His Dear Soul Rest In Peace."

The musician's origin of decease was not announced.

"He was a existent legend, and it was an honour to cognize him," helium said. "What a privilege to beryllium capable to stock his astonishing communicative with the world. RIP Rodriguez - your euphony volition unrecorded forever."

"In the US helium lived successful comparative obscurity, but was hugely fashionable successful present South Africa without him ever knowing until overmuch aboriginal on," helium said.

"We volition ne'er witnesser a communicative similar his successful our beingness again."