Sixto Diaz Rodriguez
Encyclopedia
Sixto Diaz Rodriguez is an American folk musician, born in Detroit, Michigan
on 10 July 1942. He was named 'Sixto' because he was the sixth child in his family. Rodriguez's parents were middle-class immigrants from Mexico
, who left in the 1920s. In most of his songs he takes a political stance on the cruelties facing the inner city
poor.
label. It was after the move to Sussex that he changed his professional name to just Rodriguez. Rodriguez recorded two albums with Sussex—Cold Fact
in 1970, and Coming from Reality
in 1971. But after mixed reviews and low album sales he was dropped from the label, which later folded in 1975.
, Rhodesia
(now Zimbabwe
), New Zealand
and Australia
.
After imported copies of his Sussex albums ran dry, an Australian record label, Blue Goose Music, bought the Australian rights to his back catalogue in the mid 70s. The label released his two studio albums plus a compilation album At His Best
(featuring unreleased recordings from 1976 "Can't Get Away", "I'll Slip Away" (a re-recording of his first single), and "Street Boy"). Unbeknownst to Rodriguez, it went platinum in South Africa, where he achieved cult status.
With a new buzz around Rodriguez, in 1979 he toured Australia with the Mark Gillespie Band as support. Two shows from the tour were later released on the Australian only album Alive—the title being a play on the rumours caused by his public obscurity that Rodriguez had died years ago. After the '79 tour he returned to Australia for a final tour in 1981 with Midnight Oil
before quietly slipping back into normal life.
In 1991 both his albums were released on CD in South Africa for the first time. His fame in South Africa was completely unknown to him, until 1998 when his eldest daughter found a website dedicated to him on the internet. In 1998 he played his first South African Tour. A documentary about the tour Dead Men Don't Tour: Rodriguez in South Africa 1998 was later screened on SABC TV in 2001. Later he played in Sweden
before returning to South Africa in 2001 and 2005.
In 2002 his signature song, "Sugar Man", was added to DJ David Holmes'
mix album Come Get It I Got It, gaining Rodriguez airplay again on Australian radio station Triple J
. "Sugar Man" had previously been sampled in the song "You're Da Man" from rapper Nas
' 2001 album Stillmatic
. In 2007 he returned to Australia
in April, to play the East Coast Blues and Roots Festival, as well as shows in Melbourne
and Sydney
. His song "Sugar Man" was in the 2006 film Candy
, starring Heath Ledger
. Cornish singer-songwriter, Ruarri Joseph
, covered Rodriguez's song 'Rich Folks Hoax' for his third studio album. There has also been a film made about his life titled, Looking for Jesus. Rodriguez now continues to tour in various countries.
South African band Just Jinger has also made a very popular cover version of Sugar man.
His albums Cold Fact and Coming from Reality were re-released by Light in the Attic Records
in 2009.
Australia
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
on 10 July 1942. He was named 'Sixto' because he was the sixth child in his family. Rodriguez's parents were middle-class immigrants from Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, who left in the 1920s. In most of his songs he takes a political stance on the cruelties facing the inner city
Inner city
The inner city is the central area of a major city or metropolis. In the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Ireland, the term is often applied to the lower-income residential districts in the city centre and nearby areas...
poor.
Career
In 1967 (under the name Rod Riguez) he released the single "I'll Slip Away" through the small label Impact. He did not produce anything for another three years until he was signed to Sussex Records; an offshoot of the BuddahBuddah Records
Buddah Records was founded in 1967 in New York City. The label was born out of Kama Sutra Records, an MGM Records-distributed label, which remained a key imprint following Buddah's founding...
label. It was after the move to Sussex that he changed his professional name to just Rodriguez. Rodriguez recorded two albums with Sussex—Cold Fact
Cold Fact
- Personnel :There were no musicians credited on the original album sleeve, but Rodriguez and Mike Theodore have filled in the gaps:* Rodriguez – vocals, acoustic guitar* Dennis Coffey – electric guitar* Mike Theodore – keyboards, brass and string arrangements...
in 1970, and Coming from Reality
Coming from Reality
Coming from Reality is the second and final studio album to date from American singer/song writer, Rodriguez. It was later released in South Africa in 1976 as After the Fact.It was reissued by Light in the Attic Records in May 2009....
in 1971. But after mixed reviews and low album sales he was dropped from the label, which later folded in 1975.
Post career fame
After failing to make an impact in America, he gave up his career as a musician. However, although he was relatively unknown in his home country by the mid 70s, his albums were starting to gain airplay in countries like South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
(now Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
), New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
After imported copies of his Sussex albums ran dry, an Australian record label, Blue Goose Music, bought the Australian rights to his back catalogue in the mid 70s. The label released his two studio albums plus a compilation album At His Best
At His Best
At His Best is a compilation album from American singer/song writer, Rodriguez. It was only released in Australia and New Zealand until 2005 and contains three tracks record just for this release.-Track listing:...
(featuring unreleased recordings from 1976 "Can't Get Away", "I'll Slip Away" (a re-recording of his first single), and "Street Boy"). Unbeknownst to Rodriguez, it went platinum in South Africa, where he achieved cult status.
With a new buzz around Rodriguez, in 1979 he toured Australia with the Mark Gillespie Band as support. Two shows from the tour were later released on the Australian only album Alive—the title being a play on the rumours caused by his public obscurity that Rodriguez had died years ago. After the '79 tour he returned to Australia for a final tour in 1981 with Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil , were an Australian rock band from Sydney originally performing as Farm from 1972 with drummer Rob Hirst, bass guitarist Andrew James and keyboard player/lead guitarist Jim Moginie...
before quietly slipping back into normal life.
Recent success
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
before returning to South Africa in 2001 and 2005.
In 2002 his signature song, "Sugar Man", was added to DJ David Holmes'
David Holmes
David Holmes is the name of:* David Holmes , stuntman and actor in the Harry Potter films* David Holmes , former Chairman of Rangers* David Holmes , former BBC Political Editor...
mix album Come Get It I Got It, gaining Rodriguez airplay again on Australian radio station Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
. "Sugar Man" had previously been sampled in the song "You're Da Man" from rapper Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
' 2001 album Stillmatic
Stillmatic
Stillmatic received generally positive reviews from most music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 69, based on 12 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews"...
. In 2007 he returned to Australia
Rodriguez Australian Tour 2007
The Rodriguez Australian Tour 2007 is the singer's first concert tour of Australia since 1981, and comes after his surprising rediscovery of some decades....
in April, to play the East Coast Blues and Roots Festival, as well as shows in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
and Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. His song "Sugar Man" was in the 2006 film Candy
Candy (2006 film)
Candy is a 2006 Australian romantic drama film, adapted from Luke Davies's novel Candy: A Novel of Love and Addiction. Candy was directed by debut film-maker Neil Armfield and stars Heath Ledger, Abbie Cornish and Geoffrey Rush....
, starring Heath Ledger
Heath Ledger
Heath Andrew Ledger was an Australian television and film actor. After performing roles in Australian television and film during the 1990s, Ledger moved to the United States in 1998 to develop his film career...
. Cornish singer-songwriter, Ruarri Joseph
Ruarri Joseph
Ruarri Joseph is a singer-songwriter based in Newquay, Cornwall. He was signed to Atlantic Records, and released his debut album, Tales of Grime and Grit, in mid 2007 on that label. Joseph is currently continuing his musical career on his own label, Pip Productions, after deciding to leave...
, covered Rodriguez's song 'Rich Folks Hoax' for his third studio album. There has also been a film made about his life titled, Looking for Jesus. Rodriguez now continues to tour in various countries.
South African band Just Jinger has also made a very popular cover version of Sugar man.
His albums Cold Fact and Coming from Reality were re-released by Light in the Attic Records
Light In The Attic Records
Light In The Attic Records is an independent record label established in 2002 in Seattle, Washington by Matt Sullivan, known for its roster of reissue projects, and for its distribution catalog. . As reissue label, Light In The Attic has re-released works by artists such as Betty Davis, Serge...
in 2009.
Singles
USA- "I'll Slip Away" b/w "You'd Like to Admit It" (1967 as Rod Riguez)
- "Inner City Blues" b/w "Forget It" (1970)
- "To Whom It May Concern" b/w "I Think of You" (1970)
Australia
- "Sugar Man" b/w "Inner City Blues" (1977)
- "Climb Up on My Music" b/w "To Whom It May Concern" (1978)
- "Sugar Man" b/w "Tom Cat" (by Muddy WatersMuddy WatersMcKinley Morganfield , known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues musician, generally considered the "father of modern Chicago blues"...
) (2002)
Compilations
- After the Fact (reissue of Coming From Reality; South Africa – 1976)
- At His BestAt His BestAt His Best is a compilation album from American singer/song writer, Rodriguez. It was only released in Australia and New Zealand until 2005 and contains three tracks record just for this release.-Track listing:...
(Australia – 1977) - The Best of Rodriguez (South Africa – 1982)
- Sugarman: The Best of Rodriguez (South Africa – 2005)
External links
- Official fan website
- September 2008 Interview with L.A. RecordL.A. RecordL.A. Record is an independent music magazine originally published weekly as a broadsheet poster. The poster usually depicts a local Los Angeles musicians and according to the magazine editors is meant to recreate an iconic album cover. In March 2008, it began publishing as a monthly magazine with a...
- Article on Rodriguez from Guardian UK August 8 2008
- SMH article April 12 2007
- Official Reissue 2008
- Cold Fact Daily Music Guide Review
- Rodriguez Interview on RocknRollDatingRocknRollDatingRocknRollDating is a free online dating website in the United States and Canada focused around the idea that musical compatibility is important to relationship matches...