Rodriguez

Born in Detroit in 1942, Sixto Diaz Rodriguez

originated from a working-class background and

dropped out of high school at the age of 16.

Dividing his time between hanging around the

university campus and playing assorted

unconventional clubs and bars. 

Despite being a pacifist, Rodriguez contemplated

signing up for the army at the height of the

Vietnam War. "It was the spirit of the times," he

says. "They have a war every 15 or 20 years, and

there's always a crop of young-bloods who don't

know this is happening. They've been inspired by

the media. I love my country. It's just the

government I don't trust." He didn't end up

actually enlisting. "I had to fight my brother twice

over that," he says. "Also, I just got married, and

they didn't take people that were married at the

time.

His career initially proved short lived, with two

little-sold albums in the early 1970s and some

brief touring in Australia. Unbeknownst to him,

however, his work became extremely successful

and influential in South Africa and at one point in

time more famous than Elvis Presley to South

African fans, although he was mistakenly

rumored in that country to have committed

suicide.

Go To Next

 Artist/Band

Return To Rocking

 The U.S.A

Return To RM

 Lay Out

Return To Major

 Bands & Artists