National Library of Jamaica

PETER TOSH (1944 - 1987)

Peter Tosh was born Winston Hubert McIntosh in 1944 in Westmoreland. In 1962, Peter Tosh teamed up with Bunny Wailer, Junior Braithwaite and Bob Marley to form the Wailers. The group rehearsed for almost two years before making its Studio One debut with Simmer Down. Tosh played the guitar, melodica, piano and organ on many of their early tracks, and even played for American pop star Johnny Nash’s Columbia Records sessions in the late 1960s, when Nash hired them as songwriters.

By 1973, Tosh felt the need to pursue a solo career. Legalise It was his debut album which was a remake of many of his earlier Jamaican recordings and gave the marijuana movement its most potent anthem in the title track. He performed this song not once but twice in his ‘70s live concerts. Some of his other major hits were: Equal Rights (1977), Bush Doctor (1978) and Mystic Man (1979).

In 1987, he released No Nuclear War; which won the Grammy for best Reggae Performance.

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