Rodriguez

Highest Rated: 95% Searching for Sugar Man (2011)

Lowest Rated: 95% Searching for Sugar Man (2011)

Birthday: Jul 10, 1942

Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan, USA

The history of rock is filled with artists who all but disappeared upon their initial foray into the pop marketplace, only to be rediscovered by a more discerning cult audience later. But perhaps no artist has ever gone from the depths of utter obscurity to the heights of adulation like Rodriguez. The singer-songwriter's two albums were almost entirely ignored upon their initial release in the early 1970s, and he quickly retired from the music business. But after pockets of devoted fans started spouting up in unlikely places like Australia and South Africa, generating new interest in the enigmatic troubadour, Rodriguez was re-discovered living quietly in his hometown of Detroit. After he was coaxed into coming out of retirement for the occasional live show, both of his albums were reissued to rave reviews by critics who compared his thoughtful lyrics and haunting tunes to the likes of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen. But that's not all: when Swedish documentary filmmaker Malik Bendjelloul decided to tell the story of this unexpected rediscovery, the resulting film, "Searching For Sugar Man" (2012), not only was a critical and commercial success, but also won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. Best of all, the film's success turned Rodriguez into the star he'd never been, with appearances on several television shows and multiple world tours.

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