Black Music Sunday: Celebrating Peter Tosh’s birthday

Black Music Sunday is a weekly series highlighting all things Black music, with over 280 stories covering performers, genres, history, and more, each featuring its own vibrant soundtrack. I hope you’ll find some familiar tunes and perhaps an introduction to something new.

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Today we join in on festivals and celebrations being held honoring the birthday of reggae legend and activist Peter Tosh.  

The main event is taking place in Jamaica:

Here’s a celebration in Los Angeles.

For those of you unfamiliar with reggae music or Tosh, here are sections from his website biography:

Early years

Born Winston Hubert McIntosh in 1944 in Westmoreland, Jamaica, Peter Tosh was deeply influenced by his mother, who ensured he had a Christian upbringing. This foundation led him to attend church daily, where he sang in the choir and learned to play the organ, laying the groundwork for his musical journey. At 16, Tosh moved to Trench Town, a Kingston slum notorious for its challenging living conditions. Despite the hardships, this environment became a crucible for his musical ambitions.

In Trench Town, Tosh immersed himself in the vibrant musical culture, drawing inspiration from R&B and doo-wop tunes broadcast from U.S. radio stations. His expressive baritone and burgeoning guitar skills caught the attention of local musicians. It was here that he formed a bond with Bob Marley and Neville “Bunny” Livingstone. This trio, sharing a passion for music and a vision for social change, laid the foundation for what would become the Wailers. Their collaboration marked the beginning of a movement that would bring reggae to the global stage.

The Wailers

The formation of the Wailers in the early 1960s was a pivotal moment in reggae history. Their debut hit, “Simmer Down,” released in 1964, showcased their unique blend of American soul, gospel, and the emerging reggae sound. As the political climate of the 1960s intensified, the Wailers infused their music with socially conscious lyrics, reflecting the teachings of Rastafari and addressing issues of inequality and injustice.

​Tosh's role in the Wailers was multifaceted. As the band's most accomplished musician, he played guitar, keyboards, and percussion, significantly shaping their sound. His songwriting offered a militant perspective, providing a counterbalance to Marley's more soothing tones. This dynamic enriched their music, making it both thought-provoking and universally appealing. Together, they pioneered a new musical direction, slowing down the tempo of ska and rocksteady to create the distinctive rhythm of reggae.

Elizabeth Thomas at Musician Guide expands on his story:

Apparently, Tosh's music became even more controversial after he broke with the Wailers in 1974. Even before the release of his first solo album, he was seized by police in Jamaica and severely beaten. The reason for the incident remains a mystery, but it inspired Tosh to record his first single, “Mark of the Beast,” as a protest. The song was promptly banned from Jamaican radio. Also quickly banned was Tosh's “Legalize It,” from his 1976 debut album of the same title. In this song Tosh promoted the legalization of marijuana; as a follower of the Rastafarian religion, according to Cook, he believed the substance brought a user closer to God. Despite the ban, “Legalize It” became a big seller for Tosh.

Though eventually the Jamaican government stopped banning his creations, Tosh continued getting into trouble. He smoked marijuana publicly during a 1978 concert in Kingston, Jamaica, and criticized Jamaican Prime Minister Michael Manley, a member of the audience, for not legalizing the drug. Later that year, possibly as a result of this incident, Tosh was arrested again and nearly beaten to death before being allowed to leave the police station.

At about the same time, Tosh became the second musical act after the Rolling Stones themselves to sign with the newly formed Rolling Stones Records. His association with the famed rock group increased his exposure–he opened for the Stones' U.S. concerts during the summer of 1978, and recorded a duet with lead singer Mick Jagger, a remake of the Temptations' hit “Don't Look Back.” Tosh also appeared with Jagger on the television show “Saturday Night Live.” Despite his growing popularity, however, Tosh did not waver from his commitment to political and social commentary in song. In 1981, he released what Cook termed his “greatest” album, Wanted Dread and Alive, a scathing criticism of political corruption and the condition of poor people. Just a month before his death, Tosh's peace-promoting No Nuclear War was released.

IMDB:

On a fall night in 1987, three men forced their way into Peter Tosh's home in Kingston, Jamaica. Inside, they drew guns and forced their way upstairs where they confronted Tosh and some friends. Tosh was beaten, pistol-whipped and then shot several times. Five others were shot before the gunmen fled. The victims were rushed to the hospital, but it was too late for Tosh. He died shortly after. Stepping Razor: Red X, the documentary, explores the life of the late Peter Tosh, reggae artist, Jamaican folk hero, prophet and radical political activist. Based on his personal taped diaries, the Red X tapes, the film reveals the inner thoughts of this volatile musician. —Clint Weiler

Bass Culture Music magazine review:

Peter Tosh wasn’t just a reggae icon—he was a revolutionary voice for justice, equality, and liberation. While Bob Marley was the global diplomat, Tosh was the militant prophet, never afraid to speak truth to power.
The 1992 documentary Stepping Razor: Red X dives deep into the fire and philosophy of the man who proudly called himself a “wanted dread and alive.”

A biography of Tosh, “Steppin’ Razor” by John Masouri, was published after his death.

A decade after the release of a film called “Steppin’ Razor: Red X” and one year after Jamaica honored Peter Tosh with the nation’s third highest award – the order of merit – his very first biography has been published.

Written by reputed British journalist John Masouri, this long-awaited 486-page turner is entitled “Steppin’ Razor: The Life of Peter Tosh.”

U.K. roots reggae band Dubwiser on Peter Tosh: Why I Love:

TOTALLY UNIQUE: PETER TOSH

Peter was a totally unique musician, singer, producer and songwriter. In his life and music he appeared completely fearless. Probably like any other human being he was uneasy and even frightened at times, but his convictions helped him overcome and push forward.

Peter’s voice was entirely unique, in the same vein as Nina Simone, Muddy Waters or Billie Holiday. When Peter sang, regardless of the subject matter he sounded like he was singing from a cell in prison, a place he was familiar with after several false arrests and severe beatings at the hands of the Jamaican police.

He is known for ‘Legalize It’ but he did so much more. Peter was a militant and thoughtful songwriter and an equally remarkable guitarist, whose style of playing and his teaching of Bob Marley, was fundamental in setting the sound and feel for reggae guitar to this day. He was a brilliant arranger and producer who gathered around him the very best musicians and set the stage for Sly and Robbie to go on to become THE drum and bass sound of the world.

From The Dread Library: Peter Tosh: A man of the past, living in the present, walking in the future

Peter Tosh. With the name comes a certain stigma and uneasiness in Reggae circles. Peter Tosh was a crusader and warrior in a musical forum more known for it’s mellow and passive resistance. As former college and producer Lee Jaffe simply put it “A lot of people were afraid of Peter, they  did not know how to deal with him.”(Stepping Razor, Red X: the Peter Tosh story, Bush Doctor Films). He traveled the globe for roughly thirty years preaching his message of equality and justice for every man. He was preaching against powerful forces and societal brainwashing and misinformation.  The so called downpressorman or Babylon. He fought against these forces, with bravado, undaunting passion, and an arrogant open style that many people did not know how to deal with. He had a strong conviction of what he viewed as right and wrong. When he saw something as unjustified watch out. He attacked his viewed oppressors with the veracity of an attack dog. As reggae artist of international superstar status, this was a dangerous thing, because he reached the masses.

At Afropop.org you can read their feature, “The Passing of Peter Tosh” by Timothy White, written after his death.  

Baz Dreisinger wrote for NPR: Peter Tosh: Reclaiming A Wailer

Bob Marley and the Wailers: The two names are practically inseparable. But in the years since they became the most prominent reggae band of all time, another name has diminished in history: Peter Tosh.

[…]

“In places like Africa, Peter is an even more respected star than Bob because of his militancy,” says reggae archivist Roger Steffens. “He was almost beaten to death on several occasions by Jamaican police because of his anti-establishment views. He didn't just talk the talk, he walked the walk — and people respect that all over the word.”

[…]

In the 1960s, Tosh was influenced by such civil rights leaders as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Stokely Carmichael and Malcolm X, whose writings were banned in Jamaica. He was arrested for demonstrating against racial murders in southern Africa. Colin Grant, author of a new book about the Wailers, says the dark-skinned Tosh developed Afrocentric pride early on.

“Even though Jamaica is predominantly a black country,” Grant says, “there is a brown and white elite, and I think people took sides and aligned themselves fundamentally with one side or another. Peter aligned himself fundamentally in the black camp.”

[…]

Legalize It was banned on Jamaican radio, so Tosh printed the lyrics in an ad he took out in a Jamaican newspaper. A year later, Tosh released a second album, Equal Rights. Herbie Miller, Tosh's former manager and the director of the Jamaica Music Museum, says Tosh was moved by political unrest in Jamaica and beyond.

Here are two hours of Tosh listening:

For a comprehensive listing of Tosh’s recordings, I suggest you visit this site. The list is far too long to post here, though these should get you started: