Australia was one place where his music had found an audience, and in 1979 he was invited to tour there. He returned in 1981 for a few shows with the band Midnight Oil and released a live album in Australia. He seemed to have no idea how popular he was there, especially among white South Africans uncomfortable with apartheid and the country’s rigidly conservative culture. He joined forces with Craig Bartholomew-Strydom, a journalist who was also searching for Rodriguez, and eventually they found the singer, still living in Detroit. A 1998 tour of South Africa followed, with Rodriguez playing six sold-out shows at 5,000-seat arenas.

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Persons: —, ” Stephen Segerman, you’d, Simon, Garfunkel, Rodriguez, ”, Segerman, Craig Bartholomew, Strydom Organizations: Oil, Cape Town, Beatles, Sunday Telegraph Locations: Detroit, Australia, South Africa, Britain