Sugar Man: The Life, Death and Resurrection of Sixto Rodriguez

by Craig Bartholomew Strydom, Stephen 'Sugar' Segerman

In the summer of 1972, during a compulsory stint in the South African military, Stephen 'Sugar' Segerman heard the music that would forever change his life. A decade later, on yet another military base, Craig Bartholomew Strydom heard the same music. It would have a profound effect. Who was this folk singer who resonated with South Africa's youth? No one could say. All that anyone knew was his name - Rodriguez - and the fact that he had killed himself on stage after reading his own epitaph.After many years of searching in a pre-internet age, Strydom with support from Segerman found the musician not dead but alive and living in seclusion in Detroit. Even more remarkable was the fact that Rodriguez, no longer working as a musician and struggling to eke out a blue-collar existence, had no idea that he had been famous for over 25 years in a remote part of the world...

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

388 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2015

Reviews

[Nancy Dunham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a terrific book. Like many other readers, I was fascinated by the Searching for Sugar Man documentary and wanted more information about the main people, especially Rodriguez. This book provided that. It is well written and insightful. I read it in two days and highly recommend it.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought is was to the point and very interesting!. If you loved the film,that's just the icing on the cake.Read this book! You don't want to miss out...

[Roz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being South African, this book hit home in many ways. Although I didn't encounter Rodriguez's music in the army (I didn't go - just in case you are wondering), he was a huge part of my university life. So many of the myths that had to be investigated were also a part of my 'knowldge bank' of Rodriguez. For example, when I looked at the cover, and it spoke about Sixto Rodriguez, I was confused as I was under the impression his name was Jesus. Naturally, the folks on the hunt for Rodriguez wasted a lot of time looking for the wrong man - Jesus Rodriguez. Little things like that really got me to enjoy the book - especially at the beginning.

Although I understand (after reading) that Rodriguez is a private man and does not want personal information revealed, it made a lot of the second section very speculative. The writers assumed he thought this, assumed he felt that, guessed his motivations... It left me wanting more, as inference, no matter how good, is not a fact.

I must confess that I felt disappointed in Rodriguez while reading this - which is not what I expected. For a man with such insightful lyrics and prominent commentary on world affairs, he could come across as 'high school bitchy' or fickle. But then, is that the writers' feelings coming across, or is that a reality? Who knows. There really wasn't that much about Rodriguez to be able to tell.

The part that touched me the most was the making of the documentary. The source material was reliable and therefore, no speculation, just facts. I was genuinely upset to hear what happened to Malik - the director.

The writing was fine. I have read non-fiction which has a better quality of writing, but it did not detract from the telling of the tale. In fact, what I thought was odd, was that the best writing happened when they were discussing the music. I did find somethings were a bit jumpy in places, and that the flow could have been improved a bit.

I should mention one thing that I loved about reading this. The writers would pop random lines from the songs in in places. Whenever I would read those, they sounded in my head as a clip from the song - to such an extent that I had Establishment Blues stuck in my head for three days without actually hearing it once.

[Chuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Academy Award-winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man has a lot going for it, but this book, authored by the two principal players in tracking down a long-lost musician, covers a lot more territory, and fills in a number of gaps.

The subject -- Sixto Dias Rodriguez, a/k/a "Rodriguez" -- recorded two albums in the early 1970s. They went nowhere in the United States, and Rodriguez soon returned to blue-collar labor in Detroit. Unbeknownst to him, however, his music made it to South Africa where it became enormously popular (although Rodriguez received no royalties for album sales there). Craig Bartholomew Strydom and Stephen 'Sugar' Segerman independently became obsessed with learning about the artist's reported death, which -- it turned out -- was greatly exaggerated. The two men eventually teamed up, and became instrumental in locating Rodriguez and resurrecting his career some forty years after his early recordings had flopped.

Missing from the documentary were Rodriguez's 2007 and 2010 Australian concerts, and details concerning his personal and family life. Strydom and Segerman cover those topics (although the reclusive musician obviously protects his privacy), and they also provide a lot of detail about the making of the film, whose Swedish director, Malik Bendjelloul, unfortunately committed suicide in 2014.

Both authors already had careers as professional writers, and their telling of this amazing story is brisk and captivating, even for a reader who already knows the eventual outcome. As Strydom and Segerman discovered, it's easy to become obsessed by Rodriguez, and their account is integral to the relatively small collection of materials (records, CDs, film) that embody his remarkable life trajectory.

[Lesa Wade · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't say enough about this book. I saw the documentary a few years ago. It was fabulous. ( thank you son for suggesting it ). I found the book for my son for Christmas. He read it and loaned it to me. So much more information than a movie. A crazy and wild story. I can't recommend it enough.

[Pete daPixie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My search for Sugarman began in 2017 when a friend posted to me a DVD of the film 'Searching for Sugar man'. In May 2018 I was visiting my cousin in Spain who was playing loud stuff on his cd player, "Oh this is really good. Have you heard this guy? He's called Sugarman!" Some months later I discover this book in my library.
So now I've come full circle with the full low down on the Oscar winning film and the unknown legend that is Sixto Rodriguez.
Two South African fans of Rodriguez's music, Strydom and Segerman, tell the true story in very intricate detail from their earliest searches for information on this mysterious artist, all the way to the 'Searching for Sugar man' award winning night in Hollywood in 2013.
I now await the soundtrack cd from the film dropping through my letterbox. Here is a perplexing tale in modern popular music history. A 60's acoustic troubadour, who for fifty years hardly caused a blip on most radars outside South Africa and Australia. Why now? Is it the power of advertising? Having read the book, I'd love to turn you on.

[Frank Marzano · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're reading this, then you probably already know the basics of Rodriguez' story: Sixto Rodriguez (known simply as "Rodriguez") put out two excellent albums in the early seventies, which went nowhere, then spent the next two decades in obscurity doing backbreaking construction work, completely unaware that, in South Africa, his albums were outselling Elvis and The Beatles. A couple of South African fans (the authors of this book) managed to track him down. That story was eventually made into a movie, the Academy Award-winning SEARCHING FOR SUGARMAN.

The authors are not exactly unbiased, but this book is no whitewash, either. In particular, the book fills in a number of gaps not covered in the film. (Rodriguez' music was also very popular in Australia, for example.) All in all, this book (as well as the film) should be of interest to any serious music fan, and should go a long way toward bringing Rodriguez' music to the wider audience it deserves.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoyed the documentary Searching For Sugar Man then this book compliments the film nicely, providing much more detail than the time constraints of the movie allow. If you're hungry for more background information concerning the recording of Rodriguez' two albums, his between-music years, the political climate of South Africa where his music managed to take hold, the often excruciating process of making the documentary, and what life has been like for the cast members since the Oscar win, plus a few surprise tidbits that didn't make the film, then this book makes a great companion piece.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book about the amazing story of my favorite musician/songwriter, Sixto Rodriguez. The documentary "Searching for Sugarman" was wonderful, and while the book tells the same basic story, there are many interesting little facts in it that were not discussed in the movie. I feel like I learned even more about the brilliant "inner city poet" Rodriguez from it. I recommend it to anyone, not just fans of Rodriguez, but anyone interested in history and music. Rodriguez, beyond his musical gifts is a very interesting person and his story shows triumph over adversity, and gives us hope that sometimes dreams can come true.

[Tessa Jayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved It!

Brought back so many fond memories from the early 70's living in the small mining town of Virginia, Orange Free State, South Africa when I first heard his music.

His first album "Cold Fact" was sent to me by a friend living in Johannesburg a the time.

What a Story! What a Legend!

[June · Rating 2 out of 5]

A wonderful story, however, if you have seen the Award winning Documentary, then it's probably not necessary to read this book.

[Emily De · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome read, it complements the documentary perfectly.

[Christel Keijzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this - being a part of my history,....also the documentary and book - are both interesting pieces of contemporary musical history in the making

[Goodwell Mateyo · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extraordinary non-fiction depiction of humanity. A well researched body of work written in the third person by two of the protagonists in the story.

[Jeanne Fifield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story

I'm glad I read this, it answered all my questions . I was so fascinated with the movie but needed more, this was perfect.

[Stefan Schutte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sugar Man: The Life, Death, and Resurrection of Sixto Rodriguez is a brilliant read, as captivating as the Oscar-winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man, which stars the book's authors, Craig Bartholomew Strydom and Stephen 'Sugar' Segerman. However, the book transcends being just a behind-the-scenes account of the film; it delves into the intertwined journeys of Craig and Sugar as they sought to unravel the mystery surrounding their musical idol. Their efforts played a pivotal role in introducing Rodriguez's music to a global audience.

Alongside their narratives, the book unveils the tenacious drive of the film's director, Malik Bendjelloul, in crafting one of the most beloved documentaries of the past decade.

The heart of the book revolves around Rodriguez and his story, requiring extensive research by Craig and Sugar, particularly into the early days when Cold Fact and Coming From Reality were recorded.

One of the most intriguing aspects for me was learning about the behind-the-scenes details of Searching for Sugar Man: the coincidences, near-misses, and strokes of fortune that saved the day when all seemed lost.

I also appreciated how the book cleverly integrated song references throughout, giving it a unique soundtrack that enhances the reading experience.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book, whether or not you're familiar with the documentary. It has inspired me to watch the film again with a fresh perspective.

[John Lyman · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was apropos to learn the real story behind the "factual" documentary. I guess the changes Malik made didn't diminish my belief that the events as presented were, by and large, the truth. I guess every author or filmmaker takes some kind of poetic license. Truly a gripping movie, not so much for the book.

It's funny because now that I have finished the book I have my own "searching" moment, albeit far less intriguing. There is a concert mentioned at the end of the book at the Chicago Theatre in Chicago, IL and the date given is May 15, 2014. I attended a show on May 14th, (which without giving anything away, was the day after a significant event in the story of the movie). Now I want to confirm whether Rodriguez played two nights there, and the one I attended was not the one mentioned, or whether the date is wrong, or possibly just distorted due to the book being written in a far different time zone. To top it off, the ever reliable "setlist.fm" website has no entry for either date! I know the show I attended was on the 14th.

[Marc Latilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I worked with Craig at Look & Listen in Hillbrow, and he told me about his quest to track down Rodriguez. I got to see an intimate promo/record company performance during his first tour at the Blues Room at Village Walk in Sandton - up close. He then visited the Look & Listen in Hyde Park in 2001 (I think) on another tour and chatted to all the staff. Later, I was involved with distributing his Light in the Attic re-issues in SA. I still have my LPs and tape copies of Cold Fact from when I was teenager, having been introduced to his music via older friends who in turn learned about his music in the army. The whole tale is just extraordinary. It would make a great film. Oh, wait...

[Scott Langston · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a fascinating story. A lot of speculation about the man himself though; he was clearly neither a willing nor reliable source which made the narrative thin at times. The writing is okay, but not as captivating as it could perhaps have been.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. The writing style is easy to read. However, I felt there was a tremendous amount of information and detail, particularly in the first half of the book, which I, personally, could’ve lived without. I have seen the movie and I think this book is a great read.

[Cknot1sk · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Leonie Collombon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t think the book is necessary if you already watched the documentary, but the story remains AA+.

[James Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for those further interested in the story of Rodriguez or the film made about him. The book offered many answers to the burning questions i had asked myself.

[Adrian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story, watch the film too, great music. This is a good complement for the film and fills in quite a few gaps