Rodriguez left the music scene
After his first two albums failed to see commercial success, Rodriguez left the music scene.
He previously said that after his second album was released in 1971, he "went back to work."
Rodriguez worked on sites doing demolition and home renovation, according to Variety.
Call it a comeback
After his albums flopped, Rodriguez received a call in 1979 asking him to perform in Australia.
He went again in 1981, per The Detroit News.
"I thought they were strange flukes," said Rodriguez about the situation.
Rise to fame in the 1970s
Although Rodriguez wasn't widely known in today's music scene, the singer-songwriter made head waves in the 1970s.
While working on an assembly line in Detroit and playing music in clubs, he was discovered by producers Mike Theodore and Dennis Coffey, per Variety.
His debut album Cold Fact was released in 1970.
Rodriguez had two albums flop
In the early 1970s, Rodriguez recorded two albums in Detroit called Cold Fact (1970) and Coming From Reality (1971).
Both failed commercially in the United States.
Rodriguez believed it was the end of his musical journey. He started a family while working day labor.
He graduated from Wayne State University with a philosophy degree and became politically involved.
He ran for mayor, municipal council, and state senate without success.
Eventually, Rodriguez became a Cass Corridor figure, and he was frequently seen going around the area dressed in black and carrying a guitar bag over his shoulder.
Rodriguez's albums
The late songwriter's albums include:
- Cold Fact
- Coming From Reality
- Rodriguez Alive
- Live Fact
- Rodriguez Rocks: Live in Australia
- After the Fact
- At His Best
- The Best of Rodriguez
- Sugarman: The Best of Rodriguez
- Searching for Sugarman
- Coffret Rodriguez
'A great odyssey'
Rodriguez told The Detroit News in a 2008 interview: "It's been a great odyssey.
"All those years, you know, I always considered myself a musician. But, reality happened."
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