Peter Tosh (Born Winston McIntosh)
October 19, 1944 – September 11, 1987
Peter Tosh was one of the true icons of reggae music. Tosh is best remembered as a founding member of Bob Marley and the Wailers. The group signed to Chris Blackwell’s Island Records who released their first two albums, Catch A Fire and Burnin’ in 1973. Tosh left the Wailers in 1974 after a dispute with Blackwell. He released his 1976 solo debut, Legalize It, on Columbia Records. While Marley’s records focused more on love and peace, Tosh’s tended to speak out against “the system.” In 1978, the Rolling Stones signed him to their own label, Rolling Stones Records where he released the critically acclaimed Bush Doctor, Mystic Man, and Wanted Dread Or Alive, the first one including the hit Tempations cover “Don’t Look Back,” a duet with Mick Jagger. Tosh was also very active in the protest against apartheid in South Africa, performing at several benefit concerts and participating in benefit albums. On September 11, 1987, after returning from the United States where he was won a Grammy for Best Reggae Performance for No Nuclear War, Tosh was in his house waiting for friends to come celebrate his arrival. That party never happened though, as the 42-year-old Tosh was murdered execution-style during a botched home invasion robbery.
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Thanks for remembering this great musician/social activist. It was a tragedy when the world lost such a talented voice.
I came across your post on Peter Tosh and, as a Jamaican growing up with Peter Tosh blasting on my radio, it brought back memories of his music that put me in a Peter Tosh mood for the rest of the day. Right now his song, Sorry fi Mawga Dog, is replaying in my head! Keep up the good work with this invaluable blog!