Sixto Rodriguez charmed audiences in last year's sweetheart documentary "Searching for Sugar Man," and now the 70-year-old Detroit native is thinking of giving newfound fans another album.
Fresh off being added to Coachella's line-up, the singer told Rolling Stone that he's mulling a third disc -- his first in over 40 years. Rodriguez said he has been discussing the idea with Steve Rowland, the legendary producer behind one of Rodriguez' earlier albums (Rowland also discovered Peter Frampton and The Cure). Though Rodriguez says he's going to "send some tapes" to Rowland, he maintains that no official plans have been set.
The Oscar-nominated "Searching for Sugar Man" tells the nearly unbelievable tale of how Rodriguez -- a solid flop in America -- became one of South Africa's most beloved musicians. In South Africa, he attained cult figure status, and his music (1970's "Cold Fact" and '71's "Coming From Reality) was held in the same esteem as that of the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan. Decades later, a few industrious South African fans decided to find out whatever became of the man they only knew from the cover sleeves of the celebrated records.
As fate would have it, Rodriguez was dropped from his label and never made any money off the two albums. Instead, he toiled in construction in Detroit while his South Africans shared rumors that he had killed himself on stage. The rediscovery of Rodriguez and his journey to perform in South Africa provide the movie's emotional high points.
It's worth noting that the film has been criticized for omitting that Rodriguez toured Australia in the late 1970s and that his albums were re-released in the mid '70s.
Still, the humble singer cuts a somewhat mythic figure, simultaneously showing his years and flashing a sharp wit and an active interest in politics (he's a fan of Barack Obama and believes marijuana should be legalized). Listen to Rodriguez's music below and watch him discuss his life in the HuffPost Live video above.
