Searching for Sugar Man

They said he killed himself onstage.

Finished his last song and shot himself in the head.

One final statement against societal injustice.

It's time for the Oscars baby! I'm sure every picture up for Best Documentary is absolutely smashing but you owe it to yourself to take 80 minutes and watch Searching for Sugar Man, the true story of Detroit's recalled-to-life folk hero Sixto Rodriguez, better known as Sugar Man.

Rodriguez recorded two albums in the early seventies that flamed out quicker than abandoned Detroit buildings on Devil's night. They were failures everywhere except, as it turns out, for a little while in Australia and apparently in South Africa. There he was nicknamed Sugar Man (the title of the first track on his debut album) and his music became part of the rallying cry to end Apartheid. It was said that even Steve Biko was a fan of Sugar Man.

Student leader and anti-Apartheid activist in South Africa, killed in police custody

No one knew the first thing about Sugar Man, except he committed suicide onstage and wrote marvelously philosphical, electric trippy lyrics like

Cause I lost my job two weeks before Christmas
And I talked to Jesus at the sewer 
And the Pope said it was none of his God-damned business 
While the rain drank champagne

My Estonian Archangel came and got me wasted 
Cause the sweetest kiss I ever got is the one I've never tasted
Oh but they'll take their bonus pay to Molly McDonald,
Neon ladies, beauty is that which obeys, is bought or borrowed

Those are complex, man. Eventually two amateur music sleuths decided to find out the truth once and for all about what happened to Sugar Man. This is the story of their detective work.

Wanted: Cute, mysterious musician with righteous indignance

Curiosity peaked, I downloaded Rodriguez's two original albums and am impressed. His lyrics are psychedelic but almost always meaningful, and he skillfully produced many styles of music. Listen to "I Wonder" for a catchy bass line, "Only Good for Conversation" for Jimi Hendrix-style guitar wailing, and "Silver Words?" for a humble and charming love song.

Okay STAHP HERE IF YOU DON'T WANNA NO SPOILAS

I said STOP in the NAME of LOVE

STOP DOES NOT MEAN TRY HARDER STOP PROCEED ONLY IF YOU WANT SPOILERS STOP YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED STOP

.............WHOA, heh, he's not dead after all.

He's in Detroit. Doing construction work.

Never saw a penny of South African record sales.

Has no idea his songs helped end Apartheid.

omfg SERIOUSLY??? Get the guy onstage!!!!

And that is just what those South African music sleuths did. They flew Rodriguez to Johannesburg for a series of sold-out concerts and this sweet sixty-something musician got to bond with fans who grew up on his songs. It must have been like finding out John Lennon is alive and well and that he'll be performing in your town this summer. 

<----- Happy Sixto

This was in like 1998. Rodriguez continues to be alive and well and is touring all over the world. He gives most of his proceeds back to his community in Detroit. Watch this movie if you want proof that fairy tales exist in real life.