Interview: Rodriguez

Until 2012, Detroit singer-songwriter Rodriguez was largely unknown in the United States – but then the Academy Award-winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man was released. It turns out that, unbeknownst to Rodriguez, his music had become extremely popular in Apartheid-era South Africa, at the level of bands like The Rolling Stones. A highlight of the film is the footage of his triumphant first tour of Australia in 1998.

Searching for Sugar Man effectively relaunched Rodriguez’s career, and finally he was appreciated in his home country – over four decades after his original recordings were released. His albums are now considered lost-and-found classics, and he sells out large venues in the U.S. and around the world.

This interview was for a preview article for noozhawk.com for the concert by Rodriguez on 5/20/17 at the Granada Theatre in Santa Barbara. It was done by phone on 5/10/17. (Doug Seymour photo)