Peter Tosh | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Tosh (left) on the Bush Doctor tour in 1978 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Stepping Razor |
| Born | Winston Hubert McIntosh (1944-10-19)19 October 1944 |
| Died | 11 September 1987(1987-09-11) (aged 42) Kingston, Jamaica |
| Cause of death | Murder (gunshot wounds) |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1961–1987 |
| Labels | Intel-Diplo,JAD Records |
| Website | petertosh.com |
Winston Hubert McIntoshOMGCOT (19 October [1] 1944 – 11 September 1987), known professionally asPeter Tosh, was a Jamaican musician and reggae singer. Along withBob Marley andBunny Wailer, he was one of the core members of the bandthe Wailers (1963–1976), after which he established himself as a successful solo artist and a promoter ofRastafari. He was murdered in 1987 during ahome invasion.
Tosh was born Winston Hubert McIntosh on 19 October 1944 inWestmoreland, the westernmost parish ofJamaica. He was abandoned by his parents and "shuffled among relatives".[2] When McIntosh was fifteen, his aunt died and he moved toTrenchtown inKingston, Jamaica.[citation needed] He was educated inBluefields up to age 17, then moved to Kingston to live with another aunt. He began an apprenticeship as a welder.[3]
He first learned guitar after watching a man in the country play a song that captivated him. He watched the man play the same song for half a day, memorizing everything his fingers were doing. He then picked up the guitar and played the song back to the man. The man then asked McIntosh who had taught him to play; McIntosh told him that he had.[4] During the early 1960s, as an aspiring musician, Tosh went to vocal teacherJoe Higgs, who gave free music lessons to young people. Through his contact with Higgs, Tosh met Robert Nesta Marley (Bob Marley) and Neville O'Reilly Livingston (Bunny Wailer).[5] He then changed his name to Peter Tosh and the trio started singing together in 1962. Higgs taught the trio to harmonise and while developing their music, they would often play on the street corners of Trenchtown.[citation needed]
By 1964, Tosh, Marley, and Bunny had formedthe Wailing Wailers, with falsetto singerJunior Braithwaite, and backup singersBeverley Kelso andCherry Smith. Initially, Tosh was the only one in the group who could play musical instruments. According toBunny Wailer, Tosh was critical to the band because he was a self-taught guitarist and keyboardist, and thus became an inspiration for the other band members to learn to play. The Wailing Wailers had a majorska 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 inDelaware in the United States with his mother,Cedella (née Malcolm) Marley-Booker, and for a brief time was working at a nearbyChrysler factory. He returned to Jamaica in early 1967 with a renewed interest in music and a new spirituality. Tosh and Bunny were already Rastafarians when Marley returned from the US, and the three became very involved with the Rastafari faith. Soon afterwards, they renamed the musical group the Wailers. Tosh would explain later that they chose the name Wailers because to "wail" means to mourn or to, as he put it, "...express one's feelings vocally". He also claims that he was the beginning of the group, and that it was he who first taught Bob Marley the guitar. Also according to Bunny Wailer, the early Wailers learned to play instruments from Tosh.[6]
During the mid-1960s Tosh, along with Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer, were introduced to Danny Sims andJohnny Nash, who signed the three artists to an exclusive recording contract on Sims' and Nash'sJAD Records label[7] as well as an exclusive publishing agreement through Sims' music publishing company, Cayman Music. Rejecting the up-tempo dance of ska, the band slowed their music to arocksteady pace, and infused their lyrics with political and social messages inspired by their new-found faith. The Wailers composed several songs for the American-born singer Nash before teaming with producerLee "Scratch" Perry to record some of the earliest well-known reggae songs, including "Soul Rebel", "Duppy Conqueror", and "Small Axe". The collaboration had given birth to reggae music and in 1970 bassistAston "Family Man" Barrett and his brother, drummerCarlton Barrett, joined the group. They recorded the albumThe Best of The Wailers, which was produced by Leslie Kong and released in 1971.[8]
In 1972, Danny Sims assigned the balance of the JAD Records recording contract with the band toChris Blackwell andIsland Records company[7] and released their debut,Catch a Fire, in 1973, following it withBurnin' the same year. The Wailers had moved from many producers after 1970 and there were instances where producers would record rehearsal sessions that Tosh did and release them in England under the name "Peter Touch".[citation needed]
In 1973, Tosh was driving home with his girlfriend Evonne when his car was hit by another car driving on the wrong side of the road. The accident killed Evonne and severely fractured Tosh's skull.
After Island Records president Chris Blackwell refused to issue his solo album in 1974, Tosh and Bunny Wailer left the Wailers, citing the unfair treatment they received from Blackwell, to whom Tosh often referred with a derogatory play on Blackwell's surname, 'Whiteworst'.[9] Tosh had written or co-written many of the Wailers' hit songs such as "Get Up, Stand Up", "400 Years", and "No Sympathy". Tosh went on to a solo career, releasing albums with CBS Records andRolling Stones Records.
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Tosh's debut solo album,Legalize It, was recorded in 1975–6 atTreasure Isle. It was released in June 1976 onCBS Records. The title track soon became popular among endorsers ofcannabis legalization, reggae music lovers and Rastafari all over the world, and was a favourite at Tosh's concerts.[citation needed] Also in 1976, Tosh organised a backing band,Word, Sound and Power, who were to accompany him on tour for the next few years, and many of whom performed on his albums of this period. Tosh's second album,Equal Rights, was released in 1977. It featured his recording of a song co-written with Marley, "Get Up, Stand Up", and acover of "Stepping Razor" that would also appear on the soundtrack to the filmRockers.
In 1978, theRolling Stones' record label, Rolling Stones Records, contracted with Tosh, on which the albumBush Doctor was released, introducing Tosh to a larger audience. The album featured Rolling Stones frontmenMick Jagger andKeith Richards, and the lead single – a cover version ofthe Temptations song "Don't Look Back" – was performed as a duet with Jagger.[citation needed] In April, Tosh performed at the JamaicanOne Love Peace Concert of 1978. Tosh lit a marijuanaspliff and lectured aboutlegalising cannabis, lambasting attending dignitariesMichael Manley andEdward Seaga for their failure to enact such legislation. According toThe Gleaner, Tosh became regular target for the police after the concert.[3] In September, he was arrested by police atHalf Way Tree square, on the grounds of smoking marijuana and attacking a police officer. He reported being beaten severely while in police custody – resulting in a broken hand and head injuries requiring stitches.[10]
Mystic Man (1979) andWanted Dread and Alive (1981) followed, both released on Rolling Stones Records. Tosh tried to gain some mainstream success while keeping his militant views, but was only moderately successful, especially when compared to Marley's achievements.[citation needed]
In September 1979, a controversy sparked after his performance at theNo Nukes concerts atMadison Square Garden, where he worePalestinian clothing (thawb andkeffiyeh) and openly smoked marijuana. Tosh's appearance was considered a provocation towards theJewish community in New York City, as the concerts took place during theJewish New Year holiday. Despite his performance being advertised to appear in the accompanying film and on the triple live album, Tosh was removed from both releases.[11][12][13] The Palestinian dress remained a trademark performance outfit in the following years.
In 1984, after the release of 1983's albumMama 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.[citation needed] Tosh had been at odds for several years with his label,EMI, over a perceived lack of promotion for his music.[14]
Tosh also participated in the international opposition to South Africanapartheid by appearing at anti-apartheid concerts and by conveying his opinion in various songs like "Apartheid" (1977, re-recorded 1987), "Equal Rights" (1977), "Fight On" (1979), and "Not Gonna Give It Up" (1983). In 1987, Peter Tosh seemed to be having a career revival. He was awarded aGrammy Award for Best Reggae Performance in 1987 forNo Nuclear War, his last record.[15]
Along withBob Marley andBunny Wailer during the late 1960s, Peter Tosh became a devotee ofRastafari.[16] One of the beliefs of the Rastas is thatHaile Selassie, theEmperor of Ethiopia, was either anembodiment of God or a messenger of God, leading the three friends to be baptized in theEthiopian Orthodox Church.[17]
At some point after his departure from the Wailers, Tosh developed an interest inunicycles and became a unicycle rider, being able to ride forwards and backwards and hop. He often amused his audiences by riding onto the stage on his unicycle for his shows.[18][19]
Tosh's girlfriend Evonne was killed in a car crash in 1973. Tosh was in a relationship with his future wife Marlene Brown for about five years from 1982; she was 21 at the start of the relationship.[20] Tosh had ten children includingCarlos Andrew (1967), Gamal "Tosh 1" Jawara McIntosh (1980-2020)[21] (mother Melody Cunningham),[22] Aldrina Michelle and his youngest, Niambe, who has since 2009 been the administrator of her late father's estate.[23][24] The others are his sons Horace David, Stephen, and Nabii; and his daughters Sheba, Camille Erone, and Tobi.
On 11 September 1987, after Tosh returned to his home in Jamaica, a three-man gang came to his house on motorcycles demanding money.[25][26] Tosh replied that he did not have any with him, but the gang did not believe him. They remained at his residence for several hours and tortured Tosh in an attempt toextort money from him. Over the hours, as various associates of Tosh arrived to visit him, they were also taken hostage by the gunmen. The gunmen included chief thug Dennis "Leppo" Lobban, a man whom Tosh had previously befriended and tried to help find work after Lobban's release from a lengthy jail sentence.[25]
Tosh said he did not have any money in the house, after which Lobban and the fellow gunmen opened fire in a reckless manner. Tosh was shot twice in the head and killed. Herbalist Wilton "Doc" Brown and disc jockey Jeff 'Free I' Dixon also died as a result of wounds sustained during the robbery. Several others in the house were wounded, including Tosh's common-law wife Andrea Marlene Brown, Free I's wife Yvonne ("Joy"), Tosh's drummer Carlton "Santa" Davis, and musician Michael Robinson.[27][28]
According to Police Commissioner Herman Ricketts, Lobban surrendered and two other men were interrogated but not publicly named.[29] Lobban pled innocent during his trial, telling the court he had been drinking with friends. The trial was held in a closed court due to the involvement of illegal firearms. Lobban was ultimately found guilty by a jury of eight women and four men andsentenced to death by hanging.[30]
In 1995, Lobban's sentence wascommuted and he remained in jail.[31] Another suspect was acquitted due to insufficient evidence.[32] The other two gunmen were never identified by name.
In 1983, at the Los Angeles stop on Tosh'sMama Africa tour, local musician Bruno Coon went to the hotel at which Tosh was staying, with a gift for him: a custom-built guitar in the shape of anM16 rifle. Tosh accepted the gift personally.[33] The guitar was subsequently lost by the airlines when the tour went to Europe but was recovered when Tosh'spublic relations agent placed an article about its loss inDer Spiegel. Tosh went on to perform on stage with the guitar.[34]
The promoters of the Flashpoint Film Festival announced in 2006 that Tosh's common-law wife Andrea "Marlene" Brown would auction it oneBay.[35] Tosh's sons,Andrew Tosh, and Jawara McIntosh, prevented the sale, claiming ownership of the guitar.[36] In 2011 Andrew Tosh said that the guitar was in the custody of a close friend, awaiting the opening of a museum dedicated to Peter Tosh.[37]
In 1979, a 1964 photograph of Tosh in sunglasses and a suit, also featuringBob Marley and the Wailers, was the inspiration for the logo of2 Tone Records. The label released albums from ska bands such asThe Specials. The logo featured a stylized man in a suit based on the photo of Tosh, although the figure was called "Walt Jabsco".[38] The logo in turn was the inspiration for a character in aWebdings font designed byVincent Connare in 1997 ("Man in Business Suit Levitating emoji" in theEmoji system).[38] Connare changed the design to facing forward and floating.[38] Tosh's childrenAndrew Tosh and Niambe McIntosh both praised the emoji in a 2021BBC interview, with Andrew stating that "[Peter Tosh] wanted [people] to dance to their own (political) awakening".[39]
In 1993,Stepping Razor: Red X was released, a documentary film chronicling Tosh's life, music and untimely death.[40] It was directed by Canadian filmmakerNicholas Campbell, produced by Wayne Jobson and based upon a series of spoken-word recordings made by Peter Tosh.[41][42] The film was released on DVD in 2002.[43]
A monument to Tosh is maintained by his family in Belmont,Westmoreland, which is open to the public. His birthday is celebrated there annually with live reggae music.[44]
In October 2012, Tosh was posthumously awarded Jamaica's fourth[45] highest honour, theOrder of Merit.[46]
In 2015, Tosh's daughter – the administrator of the Peter Tosh Estate – deemed thatApril 20 should be celebrated as International Peter Tosh Day, in honour of his "philosophy of responsible cannabis consumption for medicinal and spiritual health benefits".[47][48]
A square on Trafalgar Road inKingston, Jamaica, was renamed Peter Tosh Square.[when?] The square is home to the Peter Tosh Museum, opened on Peter Tosh's 72nd birthday on 19 October 2016.[49][50][51] Among the artifacts on display is Tosh's M16 guitar. There was a benefit concert for the grand opening, on the 22nd, featuringChronixx,Luciano and Andrew Tosh.[52]
The annual Peter Tosh Gala Awards event was inaugurated in 2017.[53]
In October 2019, a commemorativeblue plaque dedicated by theNubian Jak Community Trust honoring Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer was placed at the former site ofBasing Street Studios in London, whereCatch a Fire andBurnin' were completed.[54]
In 2023, he was posthumously bestowed with theOrder of the Companions of O. R. Tambo.[55]
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [56] | US R&B/HH | AUS [57] | UK [58] | |||
| Legalize It |
| 199 | — | — | 54 | |
| Equal Rights |
| 146 | — | — | — |
|
| Bush Doctor |
| 104 | — | 34 | — | |
| Mystic Man |
| 123 | — | 72 | — | |
| Wanted Dread & Alive |
| 91 | 40 | — | — | |
| Mama Africa |
| 59 | 49 | 47 | — | |
| No Nuclear War |
| — | — | — | — | |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||
Listed are compilations containing material previously unreleased outside of Jamaica.
The guitar was gained by one of the festival's founders, Paul Bucknor, from the late legend's common-law wife, Andrea (Marlene) Brown. Ms. Brown told Bucknor that she, in fact, owned the M16 guitar, which had been locked away in a closet in the United States for the last 19 years.
Jawara McIntosh, 26, the youngest son of the deceased artiste, told The Gleaner yesterday that the guitar belongs to the Tosh estate and it is his intention to recover items (including the guitar) that were previously thought lost.
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