Peter Tosh
The Wailers’ sharp edge made solo: guitarist, baritone, militant writer and fearless advocate for equal rights and legal ganja. Peter Tosh never softened the demand to make the audience comfortable.
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Peter Tosh formed the Wailers with Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer in the early 1960s, bringing guitar, harmony, songwriting and a confrontational presence to the group from ska through the Lee Perry and Island years. After leaving in 1973, he made Legalize It and Equal Rights, albums that placed political demands directly in the title. Tosh’s music joined Rastafari, anti-apartheid politics, ganja advocacy and personal defiance with a commanding baritone and hard band sound. His 1978 appearance at the One Love Peace Concert, where he challenged Jamaica’s political leadership from the stage, remains central to his public image. He was murdered at his Kingston home in 1987, but his work still feels less like heritage than unfinished business.
How they stand with the others
Tosh was a co-founder and creative force in the Wailers, not a supporting character in a Bob Marley biography.
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Last checked 1 September 2026