Very interesting segment on 60 Minutes tonight about this guy. I'll try to summarize:
Mexican immigrant who grew up in Detroit. Became locally "known" as a singer-songwriter, and recorded/released two albums in the late sixties. They went nowhere. He got a house in Detroit and took manual labor jobs.
But, for whatever, reason, his music took hold in... South Africa. It sold, it sold incredibly. He was bigger than the Beatles; and he was bigger than Elvis. But he never knew about it, there was no inter-continental communication. He never got paid a dime. Then, somehow, South Africa had learned he'd committed suicide. Nothing helps an artist's career like a suicide, no matter the medium! He became even more popular, the "soundtrack to people's lives".
He still didn't know anything about this.
Enter a broke 19-year old film-maker wannabe from Scandinavia. He learned about Rod while visiting SA, and was intrigued by the story. He eventually made his way to Detroit, and found Rodriguez, alive and still working manual labor. Word got back to SA, and he was invited to tour the nation. He did so, to huge, huge crowds. Huge success!
He came back home. Nothing. He went back to his manual labor job.
BUT, that 19-year-old kid from Scandinavia had been filming the whole thing, most of it with his iPhone 4. He built a film out of the footage, editing and building it himself over a 4-year period, and he entered it in the Sundance Film Festival, HQ'd just east of me in Park City Utard. His film was not only accepted, but opened the festival, and was a huge success.
Rodriguez finally debuted on the American stage, on Letterman! He's begun a tour of the US now, lots of interest. Just turned 70. Has trouble walking, and is almost blind.
What a story. What an incredible story.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh-99_1k3mE[/youtube]
Mexican immigrant who grew up in Detroit. Became locally "known" as a singer-songwriter, and recorded/released two albums in the late sixties. They went nowhere. He got a house in Detroit and took manual labor jobs.
But, for whatever, reason, his music took hold in... South Africa. It sold, it sold incredibly. He was bigger than the Beatles; and he was bigger than Elvis. But he never knew about it, there was no inter-continental communication. He never got paid a dime. Then, somehow, South Africa had learned he'd committed suicide. Nothing helps an artist's career like a suicide, no matter the medium! He became even more popular, the "soundtrack to people's lives".
He still didn't know anything about this.
Enter a broke 19-year old film-maker wannabe from Scandinavia. He learned about Rod while visiting SA, and was intrigued by the story. He eventually made his way to Detroit, and found Rodriguez, alive and still working manual labor. Word got back to SA, and he was invited to tour the nation. He did so, to huge, huge crowds. Huge success!
He came back home. Nothing. He went back to his manual labor job.
BUT, that 19-year-old kid from Scandinavia had been filming the whole thing, most of it with his iPhone 4. He built a film out of the footage, editing and building it himself over a 4-year period, and he entered it in the Sundance Film Festival, HQ'd just east of me in Park City Utard. His film was not only accepted, but opened the festival, and was a huge success.
Rodriguez finally debuted on the American stage, on Letterman! He's begun a tour of the US now, lots of interest. Just turned 70. Has trouble walking, and is almost blind.
What a story. What an incredible story.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh-99_1k3mE[/youtube]
