He was said to have set himself on fire in front of an audience. A legendary end to a legendary man. His name was Sixto Rodriguez (known just as Rodriguez to fans) and he was one of the inspiring voices that rocked a nation during the 1970s.

The surprising part?

None of his devoted fans knew anything about him—who he was, where he lived, how he died—nothing.

All they knew was that his unique voice and meaningful lyrics gave them hope and motivation to get through the toughest time in their country’s history — Apartheid.

And this is where the critically acclaimed documentary “Searching for Sugarman” gets really good, as two dedicated fans set out on a mission to find out what happened to their hero.

Sixto Rodriguez was a struggling singer/songwriter who lived in Detroit in the 1960s. Two producers had heard him perform at a beaten down bar in downtown Detroit and were amazed at the distinctive voice that they heard. They decided to give him a record deal, thinking that Rodriguez could be something special.

They thought he’d be the new voice of a generation. They were wrong — kind of.

If you ask anyone in the United States if they’ve heard of Rodriguez, their answer is no. That’s because his album didn’t do as well as the producers had hoped, and nothing came out of his U.S. career.

But somehow, a pirated copy of Rodriguez’s album swam across the ocean, and arrived in South Africa during Apartheid — and Rodriguez became a phenomenon, bigger than Elvis.

The mystery part of “Searching for Sugarman” is enough to get audiences hooked. But then what comes out of these determined fans journey, and what universal lesson is taught through all of it is incredible, and makes for a truly great documentary. 4/5 stars.