Some true stories are so unbelievable that they sometimes seem beyond comprehension. Sugar Man Rodriguez, or better known as Sixto Diaz Rodriguez, had released his debut album in the year of 1970. The debut album was titled Cold Fact and it was all but forgotten about, or it was thought so at least. Now it is a #1 seller on Amazon. Go figure.

By pure chance, a bootleg recording of the Rodriguez album found its way into apartheid South Africa, and over the next two decades he became a phenomenon in South Africa. The album had become not only a classic, but equivalent of a revolutionary legend.

It was even rumoured that Rodriguez had maybe even died — of a heroin overdose or burned himself to death on stage. In 1996, journalist Craig Bartholemew set out in search of the Sugar Man.

However, back in America the album flopped without a trace, and Rodriguez was living in Detroit, clueless of his fame and status in South Africa. The album had actually gone multi-platinum in South Africa!

A  TV documentary aired on CBS 60 Minutes — Rodriguez: The rock icon who didn’t know it. “A Detroit musician living in poverty didn’t know that in South Africa, he was more popular than the Beatles.”

Disclaimer: Don’t watch the CBS spoiler if you intend to watch the famous documentary — Searching for Sugar Man. The film follows the story of two South African fans who set out to find out what really happened to their hero. Enough said about that.

Director Malik Bendjelloul had originally heard about the intriguing story of Sugar Man Rodriguez and later decided to make a film about it. Bendjelloul had finished about 90% of the film and ran out of money. Get this — he filmed and edited it on his cell phone?

Surprisingly enough, after Bendjelloul turned his unfinished film to the Sundance Film Festival, Sugar Man won an award!

Rodriguez was eventually found in Detroit, erasing years of endless speculation. Rodriguez had no idea about his fame in South Africa, and after arriving there he was welcomed as a legend.

Sugar Man you’re the answer that makes my questions disappear…