• beeng@discuss.tchncs.de
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      1 year ago

      Did he get fucked or just didn’t take off in the states initially?

      Much of success is about luck, just because you’re good and work hard doesn’t ever mean youll “make it”.

      Lucky of the bootleg copies, otherwise many of us probably wouldnt have got to hear him. Great artist!

      • Mongostein@lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        No, he got right fucked. I’ll second the documentary *Searching for the Sugarman.”

        It’s really good and I don’t want to spoil too much if you want to watch it, but I could give you the Cliff notes if you want.

      • a_seattle_ian@lemmy.mlOP
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        1 year ago

        Based on my memory, like a lot of musicians in the “good old days”, the record label cut him out of everything and actively hid royalties from him. The documentary “Searching for Sugar Man” goes into more details. As i recall they find the producer but can’t find the money. Great Doc check it out. Also found this " One of the dramatic highlights of the film is when the interviewer confronts Clarence Avant, the label’s owner. “What happened to all of the royalties?” the interviewer asks. Avant becomes visibly agitated and is unable to offer a satisfactory answer to the question. "

        • beeng@discuss.tchncs.de
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          1 year ago

          I’ve seen the film when it came out and was listening to Rodriguez before it came out, but my memory must be failing me, as I thought he only sold like 10 albums in the US and hence no royalties, but how he got famous was bootlegged tapes and records in South Africa.