It’s hard to believe the story of American singer-songwriter Rodriguez.

Launching a short-lived Stateside career in the early '70s, the “Sugar Man” performer was quickly dropped by his record label. In response, Rodriguez purchased a derelict Detroit house at a government auction for $50, worked low-wage demolition and production line jobs, and struggled to stay above the poverty line.

Unbeknownst to the singer, however, his albums were selling out all over the world—and nowhere more so than South Africa. Rodriguez’s compilation record At His Best went platinum in the in country, and his songs were held up as anti-Apartheid anthems.

A notoriously private man, Rodriguez kept his personal life closely under wraps, adding fuel to the widely-held conception that the artist had killed himself onstage during a concert in the late '70s. Determined to root out the truth, two South African fans set out to investigate the mystery, creating the award-winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man to discover what became of the singer.    

After scooping the prize for Best Documentary Feature at both the Oscars and the BAFTA Awards—and, presumably, after proving that he wasn’t dead—Searching for Sugar Man reignited Rodriguez’s career in North America. With appearances on the Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and, more bizarrely, 60 Minutes, Rodriguez was thrust once again into the spotlight.

Now armed with his first collection of new material since 1971, Rodriguez will take to the stage in Vancouver to show just why two South African aficionados gave up a year of their life travelling the globe in search of their idol.

Rodriguez plays the Orpheum Theatre this Monday (August 29).