Peter Tosh

Peter Tosh (October 19, 1944 – September 11, 1987) was a pioneer reggae musician, as well as a trailblazer for the Rastafarian movement.

Born Winston Hubert McIntosh, young Peter grew up in the Kingston, Jamaica slum of Trenchtown. His short-fuse temper usually kept him in trouble, earning him the nickname Stepping Razor, after a song written by Joe Higgs, an early mentor. He began to sing and learn guitar at a young age, inspired by the American stations he could pick up on his radio. His career was cut short when he was brutally murdered during a burglary.

With The Wailers

In the early 1960s Tosh met Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer through his vocal teacher, Joe Higgs, and after perfecting his harmonies with Bob and Bunny, he taught Bob to play the guitar. In 1962 he was the driving force behind the trio's formation of The Wailing Wailers with Junior Braithwaite and back-up singers Beverly Kelso and Cherry Smith. The Wailing Wailers had a huge ska hit with their first single, "Simmer Down," and recorded several more successful singles before Braithwaite, Kelso and Smith left the band in late 1965. Marley spent much of 1966 in America with his mother, but he returned to Jamaica in early 1967 with a renewed interest in music and a new spirituality. McIntosh and Bunny were already rastafarians when Bob returned from the USA and the three became heavily involved in the Rastafari movement. Soon afterwards, they renamed the group The Wailers.

Veering away from the up-tempo dance of ska, the band slowed down to a rocksteady pace, and infused their lyrics with political and social messages. The Wailers penned several songs for American singer Johnny Nash before teaming up with production wizard Lee Perry to record some of reggae's earliest hits including "Soul Rebel," "Duppy Conqueror" and "Small Axe." With the addition of bassist Aston "Family Man" Barrett and his brother, drummer Carlton in 1970, The Wailers became Caribbean superstars. The band signed a recording contract with Chris "Whiteworst" Blackwell and Island Records and released their debut, Catch a Fire, in 1973, following it up with Burnin' the same year.

In 1973, Tosh accidentally drove his car off a bridge, killing his girlfriend at the time and severely fracturing his own skull. He survived, but became even harder to deal with. After Island Records president Chris Blackwell refused to issue his solo album in 1974, the volatile Tosh and Bunny Wailer left the Wailers citing the unfair treatment they received from Blackwell, whom Tosh often referred to as 'Whiteworse'.

Solo career

Tosh became bitter with his ex-bandmate, claiming that the only reason Marley was so successful was that his father was white, although Peter was known for having a big mouth and was not always to be taken too seriously in his pronouncements. Many biographies focusing on members of the Wailers relate a specific incident where several people alleged that Tosh became enraged upon hearing that Marley was seeing a well known white woman in Kingston. He talked big and threatened both physical violence and damnation and hellfire for his friend, vowing to track him down and take him to task. Later that day Bob casually walked into a room where Peter was relaxing with some of their mutual friends but mysteriously Tosh seemed happy to see him and made no mention of any misgivings about the controversial relationship. When Marley was eventually told the whole story he allegedly laughed and responded: "Petah? Fussin'? You don't seh!" - suggesting like many other sources that some of Tosh's personal relationships were stormy and complicated but not necessarily mean-spirited.

Tosh began recording under the name Peter Tosh, and released his solo debut, Legalize It, in 1976 on CBS Records. The title track soon became an anthem for the marijuana movement and was a favorite at Tosh's concerts. As Marley preached his "One Love" message, Tosh railed against the hypocritical "shitstem," and became a favorite target of the Jamaican police. He proudly wore his scars that he had received from the beatings he endured. Always taking the militant approach, he released Equal Rights in 1977. His lyric "I don't want no peace, I want equal rights and justice!" would become a rallying cry for the world's downtrodden masses.

In the famous free One Love Peace Concert in 1978, first Tosh lambasted the audience, including attending dignitaries, with political demands that included legalizing cannabis. He did this while smoking a spliff, a criminal act in Jamaica. Bob Marley asked both then-Prime Minister Michael Manley, and opposition leader Edward Seaga onto the stage; and a famous picture was taken with all three of them holding their hands together above their heads in a symbolic gesture of peace during what had been a very violent election campaign.

Bush Doctor (1978), Mystic Man (1979), and Dread and Alive followed. Released on the Rolling Stones' personal label, Tosh tried to gain some mainstream success while keeping his militant views, but was largely unsuccessful, especially compared to Marley's achievements. After the release of 1983's Mama Africa, Tosh went into self-imposed exile, seeking the spiritual advice of traditional medicine men in Africa, and trying to free himself from recording agreements that distributed his records in South Africa.

He was awarded the Grammy for Best Reggae Performance in 1987 for "No Nuclear War". Tosh was in the beginning of an entire restructuring of his career when, shortly after the release of his 1987 album, No Nuclear War, Tosh was murdered at his own home during a burglary. He died on September 11, 1987. Only one of the three killers was caught.

His son Andrew Tosh is also a reggae musician.

Discography

Albums

Legalize It (1976)
Equal Rights (1977)
Bush Doctor (1978)
Mystic Man (1979)
Wanted Dread And Alive (1981)
Mama Africa (1983)
Captured Live (1984)
No Nuclear War (1987)

Compilations

These are the highest rated compilations on All Music Guide.

Collection Gold (1994)
The Toughest (1996)
Honorary Citizen (1997)
Scrolls Of The Prophet: The Best of Peter Tosh (1999)
Arise Black Man (1999)
The Essential Peter Tosh - the Columbia Years (2003)

External links

Peter Tosh Foundation
The Wailers News * Massively livicated to all things Wailers *
Peter Tosh All Music Guide Page