Sixto Rodriguez may be longing for the days when his life was a little more simple.

The enigmatic singer-songwriter turned his back on a musical career after releasing only two albums in the early 1970s. For nearly 40 years he was largely unknown throughout the world until Swedish filmmaker Malik Bendjelloul tracked him down for his 2012 documentary Searching for Sugar Man.

Legal strife ... Sixto Rodriguez, who was featured in the Oscar-winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man, is caught in a battle over his music.

The film went on to win an Oscar, interest in Rodriguez rocketed and his musical career was reborn.

This month, however, may have been among the most difficult of the singer's life. Two weeks ago, the man who inadvertently kick-started his comeback, Bendjelloul, committed suicide. And now Rodriguez faces legal woes over claims he breached his songwriter deal in the 1960s.