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- Sixto Rodriguez achieved an almost mythic fame in South Africa.
- An Oscar-winning documentary was inspired by this Detroit musician.
- The home includes the late musician’s cherished grand piano.
A historic Detroit home with a rich musical legacy, once owned by the late singer-songwriter Sixto Rodriguez, is on the market for $399,000.
Tucked in the city’s Woodbridge neighborhood near Wayne State University, the three-story, 2,896-square-foot brick home was built in 1900 and carries the soul of the man who inspired the Oscar-winning documentary “Searching for Sugar Man.”
Once a multi-family residence, it has since been used as a single-family home with four bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Rodriguez’s daughter, Regan Rodriguez, who started working as his tour manager in 2007, said the home was in rough shape when it was purchased in the late 1970s.
“It didn’t have windows and there was very little plumbing,” she said. “It wasn’t really in great shape.”
Her sister Sandra grew up helping with his music, while their sister Eva later moved to South Africa to help lead his tours there.
Over the years, Rodriguez made it his own. “He made some adjustments to the layout to open it up,” Regan said, noting that the house was his home for nearly 50 years.
Listing agent, Ryan Cooley with O’Connor Realty Detroit, said Rodriguez was always updating the property. “He was constantly doing stuff to the house, so most of it has been redone.”
“At the end of his life, he was actually blind, so there are a lot of handrails installed to help him move around safely.”
Located at 4820 Avery, the home includes half of the neighboring yard, which was divided years ago between two neighbors, a rare find in the area.
Cooley described the property as being “in the perfect shape to finish and make it a great single-family house,” adding that it’s “a great opportunity for somebody.”
“This is the house where he did his interview for the documentary,” Cooley said.
Rodriguez’s story has long been of rediscovery. Though he was little-known in the U.S. for decades, he achieved an almost mythic fame in South Africa, where his music became the soundtrack to social change. His reemergence, and the mystery surrounding his disappearance from the spotlight, became the heart of “Searching for Sugar Man.” He died in 2023 at age 81.
The home also comes with Rodriguez’s beloved grand piano, one of the few possessions he deeply valued. Though he was never a materialistic person, the piano held special meaning for him and his family. “He liked to play on it with his grandkids and help them learn,” his daughter said.
According to the listing, the property features refinished original hardwood floors, large front porches, a rear deck, new drywall, plumbing, electrical and windows.
There’s also potential for additional living space in the walk-up attic.
“The hard work, political activism, intellectual exchange, writing, music, film and art that was created there is forever in the fabric of music history,” said Regan Rodriguez. “My father has impacted people around the world, and this was his home base.”
Regan added that while she and her sisters would love to keep the home, as their father often said, “Nothing beats reality.”
Brendel Clark (previously published as Brendel Hightower) writes about real estate and other topics for the Detroit Free Press. Contact her at [email protected].
