Peter Tosh TShirTS

Peter Tosh PosTerS

Peter Tosh (October 19, 1944 – September 11, 1987) was the guitarist in the original Wailing Wailers, a pioneer reggae musician, and a trailblazer for the Rastafari movement. Born Winston Hubert McIntosh, Peter Tosh grew up in the Kingston, Jamaica slum of Trenchtown. His short-fuse temper and unveiled sarcasm usually kept him in trouble, earning him the nickname Stepping Razor after a song written by Joe Higgs, an early mentor. Peter Tosh began to sing and learn guitar at a young age, inspired by the American stations he could pick up on his radio. After an illustrious career with the Wailers and as a solo musician, Peter Tosh's life was cut short when he was brutally murdered at his home. Though robbery was officially said to be the motivation behind Peter Tosh's death, many believe that there were ulterior motives to the killing, citing that nothing was taken from the house.

In the early 1960s Peter Tosh met Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer through his vocal teacher, Joe Higgs, and after perfecting his harmonies with Bob Marley 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 backup singers Beverley 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. Bob Marley spent much of 1966 in America with his mother, but Bob Marley returned to Jamaica in early 1967 with a renewed interest in music and a new spirituality. Peter Tosh and Bunny were already Rastafarians when Bob Marley 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 Blackwell and Island Records and released their debut, Catch a Fire, in 1973, following it up with Burnin' the same year.

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

Peter Tosh became bitter with his ex-bandmate, at one point claiming that the only reason Bob Marley was so successful was that his father was white, although Peter Tosh 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 Peter Tosh became enraged upon hearing that Bob Marley was seeing a well known white woman in Kingston. Peter Tosh 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 Marley casually walked into a room where Peter Tosh was relaxing with some of their mutual friends but mysteriously Peter Tosh seemed happy to see him and made no mention of any misgivings about the controversial relationship. When Bob 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 Peter Tosh's personal relationships were stormy and complicated but not necessarily mean-spirited.

Peter 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 Peter Tosh's concerts. As Bob Marley preached his "One Love" message, Peter Tosh railed against the hypocritical "shitstem," and became a favorite target of the Jamaican police. Peter Tosh proudly wore his scars that he had received from the beatings he endured. Always taking the militant approach, Peter Tosh released Equal Rights in 1977. Peter Tosh put together a backing band, Word, Sound and Power who were to accompany him on tour for the next few years, and many of whom appeared on his albums of this period.

In the famous free One Love Peace Concert in 1978, first Peter Tosh lambasted the audience, including attending dignitaries, with political demands that included legalizing cannabis. Peter Tosh 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 Wanted Dread and Alive (1981) followed. Released on the Rolling Stones' personal label, Peter Tosh tried to gain some mainstream success while keeping his militant views, but was largely unsuccessful, especially compared to Bob Marley's achievements. After the release of 1983's Mama Africa, Peter 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.

In 1987, Peter Tosh appeared to be on the way to a career revival. Peter Tosh was awarded a Grammy for Best Reggae Performance in 1987 for No Nuclear War. However on September 11, 1987 three men came to his house demanding money, and when Peter Tosh replied that he did not have any with him he was shot dead, along with disk jockey Jeff "Free I" Dixon. The leader was Dennis 'Leppo' Lobban, a man whom Peter Tosh had befriended and tried to help find work after a long jail sentence. Leppo turned himself over to the authorities, and was tried and convicted in the shortest jury deliberation in Jamaican history: eleven minutes. He was sentenced to death, but his sentence was commuted in 1995 and he remains in prison . Neither of his two alleged accomplices were found, though rumors persist that both were gunned down in the streets.

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Peter Tosh - Dread & Alive TshirT