peter tosh
Born on the 9th October, 1944, Winston Hubert McIntosh (Peter Tosh) was raised by his aunt in Grange Hill, Jamaica. Leaving home in his early teenage years, Winston (Peter) gravitated towards the Kingston slums, known as Trenchtown. Locally there lived a local musician who would provide free music lessons for the young and aspiring musical youth, Joe Higgs. It was to be through Joe, that Winston (Peter) was to meet his future band mates, Bunny Wailer, and Bob Marley.
Known as the Wailing Wailers and under the guidance of Joe Higgs, the three boys performed publicly and eventually made it into a studio. The release of their first single “Simmer Down” was an instant ska success across the island. After several more ska tracks, The Wailing Wailers soon became known as simply “The Wailers”, recording slower rocksteady music with lyrics that reflected their new-found religion, Rastafarianism. The trio began working with a new producer, Lee “Scratch” Perry, and the birth of reggae-music was imminent.
Most people associate Bob Marley with The Wailers, but it is important to acknowledge that Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh were equal to Marley within the band. Tosh wrote a variety of the bands hits including “Get Up, Stand Up”, “No Sympathy”, “400 Years”, and “Stop That Train”. Peter was indeed a highly skilled songwriter, guitar player, and singer.
Peter Tosh gained the nick-name “Steppin’ Razor” for his rather revolutionary views. In comparison to Marley’s views of an idealistic world of spreading love, equality, and peace, Peter was more vehement with ideas of destroying “Babylon”. Coining his own unique vocabulary, Peter would use “politricks” for politics, “Crime Ministers” for Prime Ministers, and “sh*tstem” for system.
Embarking on a solo career, Peter began recording solo records while still with the Wailers. In 1974, Island Records signed The Wailers but refused to release Peter Tosh’s solo album so Peter moved on from the group to concentrate on his own career full-time. “Legalize It” was Peter’s first released single of many. Unfortunately, his militant viewpoints were never as accepted as Bob Marley’s more gentle and unifying message and Peter never scaled the heights of notoriety of Marley.
In 1977, Bob Marley organized a The One Love Peace Concert, inviting most of Jamaica’s most famous artists and stars to perform. Peter Tosh used the opportunity to air some of his most militant songs which spoke angrily against the government system. Although massively popular with the crowds, the government officials that were present were less than impressed and his actions evoked a strong reaction from the police. Peter Tosh became a regular victim of brutality due to his aggressive and militant stance towards politics and the government.
After enjoying continued success throughout the 1970′s and early 80′s, Peter took a step away from the limelight for a few years, emerging in 1987 with an amazing comeback record “No Nuclear War” which was eventually nominated for a Grammy Award.
On the 11th September, 1987, Peter Tosh was killed by a shot to the head by Dennis Lobban. An acquaintance of Peter’s, Dennis Lobban visited Peter at his home with a small gang of friends and tried to steal from him. Peter Tosh stalled the thieves with claims of a lack of money, and the gang remained at his home for several hours. Within this time various friends of Peter’s dropped by. The gang lost patience and shot Peter Tosh, and his guests, in the head. Tosh, along with two of his friends, died immediately, though three of his friends survived. A court ruled that Lobban should be sentenced to death for his involvement in the crime, however, the decision was later overruled, and Lobban is still in prison in Jamaica to this day.
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Recommended Peter Tosh CD’s:
No Nuclear War – 1987
Mystic Man – 1979
Legalize It – 1976