Peter Tosh

Peter Tosh

Peter Tosh was one of the most popular reggae icons to ever come out of Jamaica. Tosh and Bob Marley, and some other teenagers founded the Wailers group in 1963. He was a talented singer, songwriter, and guitarist.

Peter Tosh was born as Winston Hubert McIntosh in the small village of Grange Hill on October 19, 1944. Like many other youths of his age at that time, Peter Tosh left home at 15 and gravitated towards Kingston in search of greener pastures.

MUSIC

At Kingston, Tosh met other boys like him at Joe Higg’s tenement yard where they received voice lessons. One thing led to another, and the Wailers was formed in 1963. The new group had in its ranks Peter Tosh, Bob Marley, Cherry Green, Beverley Kelso, and Junior Braithwaite. During his time with the Wailers, the group produced massive hit such as I Shot the Sheriff, Stir It Up, and Get Up, Stand Up.

Peter Tosh would later leave the group due to friction between him and the more popular Bob Marley. The artist made an immense contribution to reggae music with his unapologetic and highly controversial songs. He and others like him turned reggae into a tool for fighting oppression. Peter Tosh had an authentic style of singing which was very confrontational to the government and any form of oppression.

He floated his record label after leaving Wailers, but joined Columbia and later The Rolling Stone Records. One of his reggae wear was the popular knitted hat worn by many reggae artists and his dreads. The artist celebrated Rastafarianism and was a supporter of the legalization of marijuana. Some of his solo albums included Equal Rights, Mystic Man, Mama Africa, and Wanted Dread or Alive.

On September 11, 1987, while sitting with six of his friends in his house, some armed men came and shot Peter Tosh and his companions on their heads, leaving him and one other person dead. The artist will be remembered for his hardcore and authentic reggae tunes.