Wednesday, January 16, 2013

I'm Searching for Sugar Man


It started one day in October changing radio channels and tuning in to the BoB Edwards show on XM.  Bob was interviewing a guy who had made a documentary movie called, "Searching for Sugar Man".  I had just started listening when he said,  "How would you feel if you suddenly learned that Elvis (John Lennon, etc)  was not dead and was coming to your city for a concert?"  They had me,



In the next while I heard the craziest story in Music.  In the 1970's there is a Singer/Songwriter in Detroit who went by his last name, Rodriguez.   He was big in local clubs and was signed to a record deal. His first vinyl album, Cold Fact came out and no one even new about it.  He writes like Dylan and sings like James Taylor.  Both his records tanked and no one even heard them. No radio play. No promotion. He disappeared.

Fast Forward a few years to South Africa where Apartheid conflict was reaching a peak.  Someone brought the record to the country and before long it was in demand from the young.  The lyrics were saying what they were thinking.  As soon as the radio stations started playing it, the government banned it.  Black market recordings started and then a record company started redistributing it.  No one knew who the singer was or where he lived.  In the course of the next several years Rodriguez's albums sold  over 500,000 copies.

As people asked what happened to the singer, two different stories surfaced: 1. He set himself on fire. 2. He shot himself on stage.

Truth was he was working construction in Detroit.  The movie is about South Africa after freedom found out that their hero was alive, and "Sugar Man" finding out that he was bigger than Elvis or the Rolling Stones in South Africa.

After listening to the radio show I went straightway and downloaded the Soundtrack on ITunes.  I have eagerly awaited this movie. Yesterday I bought the documentary on iTunes and just finished watching.

I see why it has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary.

The photo of him on the porch is young Sugar Man.  The one at the Mic is Sugar Man today.  He is touring again!
Great Music, Great Movie  It is ****star.  2013 Movie #4 (Yes I'm counting it)

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