Unknown Fans
Rodriguez had already recorded some songs with a Detroit label in 1967. The songs were re-recorded and featured on his first album, Cold Fact. The album was released by the Sussex record label in 1970. Sadly, the album sold very few copies in the United States, even though it got a four-star review from Billboard.
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Rodriguez released his second album, Coming From Reality in November 1971. Unfortunately, it failed just like his first one. A month after it was released, Sussex dropped him from their label. He went back to construction and continued to work hard. Meanwhile, his popularity was growing on the other side of the world. He had a life in South Africa that he wasn’t even aware of.