Peters may refer to:

• Peters (surname)
• Peters, California, a census-designated place in the United States
• Peters, Florida, a town in the United States
• Peters Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania
• Peters Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania
• Gall–Peters projection in cartography
• Edition Peters, a German music publishing house, also known as C.F. Peters Musikverlag
• Peters (bakery) a bakery chain in the United Kingdom
• Peters Ice Cream, an Australian ice cream brand now owned by Nestlé

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Russell Peters
Russell Peters in 2009
Birth name	Russell Dominic Peters
Born	(1970-09-29) September 29, 1970 (age 41) Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Medium	Stand-up, Television, Film, Radio
Nationality	Canadian
Years active	1989–present
Genres	Satire, Improvisational comedy, Black comedy
Subject(s)	Racism, Race relations, Stereotypes, Multiculturalism, Indian culture
Influences	George Carlin,[1] Steve Martin, Cheech and Chong,[2] Don Rickles,[3] Eddie Murphy
Spouse	Monica Diaz (2010–2012) 1 child
Website	RussellPeters.com

Russell Dominic Peters (born September 29, 1970)^[4] is a Canadian comedian, actor and disc jockey. He began performing in Toronto in 1989 and has been nominated for four Gemini Awards.

Early life[link]

Russell Peters was born in Brampton, Ontario, Canada to Eric and Maureen Peters. His family is of Anglo-Indian ancestry and is Catholic.^[4] His father was born in Bombay, Maharashtra, India, and worked as a federal meat inspector; he is regularly mentioned and featured in his comedy work.^[5] His mother was born in Calcutta, West Bengal, India. He has an older brother named Clayton who was born in Calcutta.^[6] Russell attended Chinguacousy Secondary School for grades 9–10, and North Peel Secondary School for grades 11–12 in Brampton.^[7][8][9]

Career[link]

Peters began performing in Toronto in 1989. Peters' popularity extends to several countries. He has since also performed in the United Kingdom, United States, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Afghanistan, Sweden, South Africa, India, the Caribbean, Philippines, Vietnam, mainland China, Canada, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, France, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Jordan, Norway, Lebanon, Oman, Pakistan, Malaysia, and Trinidad among other places.

Peters attribute performance he did on the Canadian TV comedy series Comedy Now! that was uploaded onto YouTube and became viral.^[10] While the initial video upload featured his performance in its 45 minute entirety, subsequent videos uploaded by other YouTube users were snippets of that performance, chopped into each of the cultural groups he targeted. According to Peters, those snippets made their way to those specified cultural groups, and were well received by them.^[11]

Notable performances[link]

In Canada, Peters became the first comedian to sell out Toronto's Air Canada Centre,^[12] with more than 16,000 tickets in two days for the single show. He ended up selling over 30,000 tickets nationally over the two-day sales period. A total of over 60,000 tickets were sold across six cities.^{[citation needed]} His show in Sydney, Australia on 15 May 2010 had an audience of 13,880, making it the largest stand-up comedy show in Australian history.^[13] He broke a UK comedy sales record at London's O2 Arena when he sold over 16,000 tickets to his show on 2009.^[14]

He hosted the Canada Day Comedy Festival 2006. Peters participated in a USO tour of Iraq, Afghanistan, Germany, Africa and Greenland in November 2007 with Wilmer Valderrama and Mayra Veronica.^[15]. Peters also currently produces and stars on the radio situation comedy series, Monsoon House, on CBC Radio One.

Peters was the host of the 2008 Juno Awards televised ceremonies in Calgary on April 6, 2008,^[16] for which he won a Gemini Award for "Best Performance or Host in a Variety Program or Series". The 2008 awards broadcast received the second-highest ratings ever for the program. He was asked to host the Juno Awards for a second year in a row. The 2009 Juno Awards took place in Vancouver on March 29, 2009.

Publications[link]

His comedy special Russell Peters: Outsourced, aired on Comedy Central on August 16, 2006. The DVD version features his uncensored performance. The DVD has been popular, especially in Canada, selling over 100,000 copies. Outsourced remained on the National DVD Chart over one and a half years after release. Peters released a second DVD/CD combo Russell Peters: Red, White, and Brown in Canada in September 2008 and in the US on January 27, 2009. The DVD/CD was recorded on February 2, 2008, at The WAMU Theatre at Madison Square Garden. Peters and his brother, Clayton Peters, who is also his manager, self-produced and financed Red, White and Brown. In May 2011, Peters released Russell Peters: The Green Card Tour a live performance recorded in front of a total audience of 30,000 over a two-night performance at O2 Arena in London, England.^[17]

On October 26, 2010, Peters released his autobiography, Call me Russell, co - written with his brother Clayton and Dannis Koromilas.

Earnings[link]

According to Forbes.com, Peters earned an estimated $15 million between June 2009 and June 2010, continuing his run as one of the highest-paid comedians after earning an estimated $5 million in the prior year's report. He was ranked as the 7th highest paid comedian by Forbes.^[18][19]

Comedic style[link]

Russell Peters' stand-up performances are mostly made up of observational comedy where he uses humour to highlight racial, ethnic, class and cultural stereotypes. He often refers his own life experiences growing up in an Indian family and impersonates various English accents of different groups in his act to poke fun at each group. As Peters told an audience in San Francisco, "I don't make the stereotypes, I just see them."^[20] Russell Peters uses his minority status to allow him to poke fun at different races in his performance, but according to an interview done for The National, he does not intend to put down or offend different races and cultures, but instead tries to raise them up through humour.^[21]

Peters' is widely known for his comedy punchlines "Somebody gonna get a hurt real bad" in which he tells a joke about his childhood with a traditional Indian father who would use corporal punishment and “Be a man!" while imitating an Asian trying to get him to pay more for an item at a shop.^[22]

Personal life[link]

Peters proposed to girlfriend Monica Diaz on July 10, 2010, at the Los Angeles International Airport. He announced the engagement via Twitter.^[23][24] The couple married on August 20, 2010 at A Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas. The wedding was attended by about 20 guests, including an Elvis impersonator. Peters and Diaz had their first child, a girl, who was due to be born on February 23, 2011. When announcing the pregnancy, Peters told The Canadian Press, "Did I get married because she was knocked up? I would say that expedited it." His daughter was born two and a half months early (on December 14, 2010), but was healthy as Peters stated on his Twitter. She was given the name Crystianna Marie Peters.

Peters lives in Los Angeles and owns two homes there. He also owns homes in Las Vegas and Vaughan, Ontario.^[25]

Filmography[link]

Television and film appearances[link]

Peters has appeared in a few films, most recently in the 2011 Canadian-Punjabi movie titled Speedy Singhs alongside Camilla Belle, Anupham Kher, and Vinay Virmani. He has also appeared in Senior Skip Day starring Larry Miller, Tara Reid, and Gary Lundy. Besides this, he has also had short appearances in the 1994 film Boozecan as Snake's Friend, the 1999 film Tiger Claws III as Detective Elliott, the 2004 film My Baby's Daddy as the obstetrician, the 2006 film Quarter Life Crisis as Dilip Kumar, the 2007 film The Take as Dr. Sharma, and the 2008 film Senior Skip Day as Uncle Todd.

Peters starred in a Christmas special,A Russell Peters Christmas aired in Canada on 1 December, 2011. Guests included Michael Bublé, Pamela Anderson, Jon Lovitz among others.^[27]

He also acted in Duncan Jones's movie Source Code as Max, an amateur comedian with a bad attitude, and is scheduled to star as "Pervius" in National Lampoon's The Legend of Awesomest Maximus.^[28]

Acting roles – television

• "Comics Without Borders" (2008)
• Russell Peters: Red, White and Brown (2008)
• Senior Skip Day/High School's Day Off (Australia title) (2008)- Uncle Todd
• Bob's Burgers - "Moody Foodie" (Season 2, Episode 7) - Tran

Appearances on television

• "A Russell Peters Christmas" - Himself (1 December 2011)
• "Lopez Tonight" - Himself (2010)
• "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" – Himself (2009)
• "The 9th Annual Canadian Comedy Awards" (2008)- Himself (Winner – Best Large Venue Stand-up)
• "CBC News: The Hour" .... Himself – Episode dated 18 September 2008 (2008) TV episode .... Himself
• "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" – Himself – Episode dated 15 February 2008 (2008)
• "Def Comedy Jam" – Episode #8.4 (2008) TV episode – Himself/Comedian
• "Pulse: The Desi Beat" – Episode #1.9 (2007) TV episode – Himself
• "Video on Trial" – Episode #3.3 (2007) TV episode – Himself
• "Comics Unleashed" – Episode #1.6 (2009) TV episode- Himself
• The 4th Annual Canadian Comedy Awards (2039) – Himself
• The 5th Annual Canadian Comedy Awards (2004) – Nominee (Male Stand-up)
• MTV Cribs (Where he featured on two different episodes)
• "8 out of 10 Cats" (Season 12, Episode 9)

Self

• Heckler (2007)
• Let's All Hate Toronto (2007)

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Russell Peters (26 July 2011). Call Me Russell. Random House Digital, Inc.. ISBN 978-0-385-66965-8. http://books.google.com/books?id=Man0-BpnFjkC&pg=PP1. 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Russell Peters

• Russell named first Toronto ambassador

This article's tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia. Specific concerns may be found on the talk page. See Wikipedia's guide to writing better articles for suggestions. (December 2010)

Peter Andre
Andre in 2010
Background information
Birth name	Peter James Andrea [1]
Born	(1973-02-27) 27 February 1973 (age 39) Brent, London, England[2]
Origin	Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Genres	R&B, pop, pop rock, urban
Occupations	Musician, singer-songwriter, television personality, author, businessman
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1991[3]–present (singer) 2004–present (presenter) 2009–present (business)
Labels	Melodian (1991–96) Mushroom (1995–98) EastWest (1997–2004) K&P Recordings (2006) Conehead (2009–11)
Website	peterandre.com

Peter James Andre (born 27 February 1973) is an English and Australian musician. Andre is best known for his singles "Mysterious Girl" and "Flava". He is the ex-husband of glamour model Katie Price, with whom he had two children.

In 2009, he made a successful musical comeback after the release of his 2006 album with then-wife Price, A Whole New World. In 2009, he released his first album in four years, Revelation with a new single "Behind Closed Doors" which reached #3 on the UK Singles Charts. This was followed by Accelerate in 2010.

Early life[link]

Andre was born at Northwick Park Hospital in Brent, London on 27 February 1973.^{[citation needed]} The family emigrated to Australia when he was six years old.^{[citation needed]} 3 years later, they moved back to England for just 18 months, only to move back to Australia.^{[citation needed]} At the age of 13, Peter wrote his first song 'Dream a Little' along with his older brother Chris. The song later became part of his debut album Peter Andre. By the time he was 16, Andre had written many songs, some co-written with his brother Michael. At age 16, Peter became a contestant on Hey Hey It's Saturday 'New Faces' on which he was offered a recording contract for £46,000 live on Australian television.

Career[link]

1991–2004: Early Singing Career[link]

Along side his Andre's first top 50 single in the United Kingdom was called "Only One", which reached number 16^{[citation needed]} and then gained further success with the song "Mysterious Girl" (featuring Bubbler Ranx), which reached number 2 in the UK singles chart and number 8 in Australia.^{[citation needed]} He then had a number 1 album Natural and two U.K. number 1 singles Flava and I Feel You, both produced by Richard Pascoe (RP Management) . His last single from the album was "Natural", the song peaked at number 6 in the UK singles chart.^{[citation needed]}

In November 1997, Andre release his second album Time. The album saw three singles released - "All About Us", released in August 1997 and peaked at number 3 in the UK singles chart; "Lonely" reached number 6 in the charts; and, "All Night, All Right", peaking at number 16. The album peaked at number 28 in the UK album charts.

In 1998, he released his last single, a cover of the song "Kiss the Girl" from Disney's The Little Mermaid, before being dropped by his record company and taking a long break from his music career.^{[citation needed]} It peaked at number 9 in the UK singles chart.^{[citation needed]} He also appeared on the Childliners record The Gift Of Christmas and in the following years he spent some time in Cyprus.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] 2004–07: The Long Road Back, A Whole New World and hiatus

He returned to the British media with a stint on the British reality TV series I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!; during which he met, fell in love with and subsequently married former glamour model Katie Price. He re-released his hit song Mysterious Girl in 2004, the single finally reaching number 1, eight years after it was originally released in 1995 which reached number 2 on the charts.^{[citation needed]} He released a follow-up song, "Insania", which reached number 3 in the United Kingdom in June 2004.^{[citation needed]} A follow-up album entitled The Long Road Back was also released that month, reaching number 44 in the UK album charts. The next single from the album was "The Right Way", featuring Price in the video.^{[citation needed]} This reached number 14 in September 2004.^[4]

Andre and wife Price released a duet album, A Whole New World, on 27 November 2006. The album consisted largely of cover versions and finally peaked at number 20 in the UK album charts. The album was followed by a single, "A Whole New World", on 14 December 2006. The single peaked at number 12.^[4]

[edit] 2009–10: Revelation & Unconditional: Love Songs

In 2008, Andre began working on his new album with executive producer Richard Pascoe (RP Management) and producer AC Burrell (Black Smoke Productions). Revelation was released on 14 September 2009. The first single, Behind Closed Doors, was released in August 2009 and peaked at number 4 in the UK singles chart. He performed the song at T4 on the Beach. The album Revelation peaked at number 3 in the UK album charts. It has sold over 300,000 copies. The second single from the album was Unconditional, which peaked at number 50 in the UK singles chart.^[5]

On 1 February 2010, he released the album Unconditional: Love Songs. It entered the UK album charts at number 9, and the following week peaked at number 7. As part as promotion for the album, Andre made a video for the song I Can't Make You Love Me and released it for the music channels. Also as part of promotion, Peter sang the song Sign Your Name on GMTV.^{[citation needed]} Both the songs were recorded as covers for the album.^[5]

On 18 July 2010, Andre performed at The Midlands Music Festival in Tamworth. He also performed at the V Festival and packed out the Nissan Juke tent during which he gave an emotional performance thanking his fans for sticking by him during a tough few years.^[5] In February, March and April 2010, Andre embarked on a 38-date tour of the UK. The tour was announced after the success for the album Revelation.^[6]

[edit] 2010–present: Accelerate

The first single from Andre's new album "Accelerate", titled "Defender" was released on 25 October 2010.^{[citation needed]} The song peaked at number 14 in the UK singles chart.^{[citation needed]} The album was released on 1 November 2010. It reached number 10 in the UK album charts in its first week.^{[citation needed]} Songs from the album were performed on a 14-date Arena tour across the UK in December.^{[citation needed]}

The second single "Perfect Night" will be released in July 2011.^{[citation needed]}

He has recently announced a 2012/2013 UK tour called "Up Close and Personal" which will see him play at a variety of venues around the UK whilst working on his new album.

Non-acting ventures[link]

Andre released a fragrance for women called Unconditional.^[7] Later, Andre released a male fragrance Conditional.^[8]

In 2010, Andre released a book, My World: In Pictures and Words, which reached number two on the UK book charts.^[9] In 2010, Andre released a second perfume, called Mysterious Girl, named after his hit single.^[10]

Andre was a reporter for daytime magazine show This Morning, hosting the show with Kate Thornton in October 2009.^[11]

Andre hosted "The 5 O'Clock Show" show in June 2010.^[12]

He is a regular on the ITV game show Odd One In.^[13]

Andre opened the New York Coffee Club in East Grinstead, West Sussex on November 10, 2011,^[14] and four months after it had been opened, the Food Standards Agency gave it one star.^[15]

Filmography[link]

Personal life[link]

Peter Andre and Katie Price during the 2009 London Marathon.

Andre married Katie Price on 10 September 2005. They have two children - a son, Junior Savva Andrea (born 13 June 2005)^[17] and a daughter, Princess Tiaamii Andrea (born 29 June 2007).^[18] While married to Price, Andre was stepfather to her son Harvey, a blind and autistic child from Price's earlier relationship with football player Dwight Yorke.^[19]

In May 2009, it was announced that Andre and Price had separated after three and a half years of marriage.^[20] Andre and Price were officially divorced on 8 September 2009.^[21]

On 27 April 2007, it was reported in several newspapers in the United Kingdom that Andre had been diagnosed with meningitis.^[22] He was discharged from hospital on 3 May 2007.^[23]

Discography[link]

• Peter Andre (1993)
• Natural (1996)
• Time (1997)
• The Long Road Back (2004)
• A Whole New World (2006)
• Revelation (2009)
• Unconditional: Love Songs (2010)
• Accelerate (2010)

References[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Peter Andre

External links[link]

• Official website
• Peter Andre: The Next Chapter at itv.com
• Peter Andre at Allmusic
• Peter Andre at the Internet Movie Database

George Watsky is an American poet and rapper from San Francisco, California. Watsky performs slam poetry, and was featured on Season 6 of Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry on HBO.^[2] Watsky’s talents began to receive national and international acclaim in 2006 when he was the Youth Speaks Grand Slam Poetry Champion, and was also named Brave New Voices International Poetry Slam Champion.^[3]

In 2006, Watsky was described as the "Bay Area's reigning teen champion" as the winner of "nearly a dozen slams" and "was on the team that took fourth place in the national contest" in 2005.^[4]

Watsky's poetry incorporates political and social themes. In 2006, in the midst of "a lively performance" to a "sold-out crowd", Watsky "likened politicians behavior to a common bar pick-up line" and "won the night's top score".^[5]

Reviewing a 2008 performance at Brandeis University, Sarah Bayer wrote, "Skinny, quirky George Watsky was next, with the night's most innovative piece. Watsky, a sophomore at Emerson College and a member of the grand prize-winning team from San Francisco at the National Youth Poetry Slam in 2006, adjusted the microphone to different parts of his body, imitated the sound of rewinding tape and recited binary code (a trope that caught the eye of headliner Saul Williams) in an altogether amusing performance."^[6]

Watsky graduated from Emerson College in 2010^[7] and has achieved newfound fame with his viral YouTube video "Pale kid raps fast." He was featured on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on January 24, 2011, performing a slightly modified version of that rap.^[8]

In 2009, he produced a fifteen track hip-hop album titled Watsky. In 2010 he released the album Guilty Pleasures, which he made available as a free download on his website. Produced by Procrastination (San Francisco musician Tobias Butler), Guilty Pleasures contains mashups between popular songs and those from his first album.

Watsky was profiled in The Boston Globe in 2009. The Arts section reviewed his one-man show "Where the Magic Happens" favorably and called him a "poetry-slam star."^[9]

Taking it to the page and stereo, George’s debut poetry collection and CD, Undisputed Backtalk Champion, was published by First Word Press in 2006. Edited by novelist Adam Mansbach, the book is currently in its fourth printing. As an emcee, Watsky has performed on both coasts with his band Invisible Inc. The trio’s self titled album, a blend of jazz and hip hop, features R&B sensation Passion. George’s self-released debut, Watsky, reached as high as #7 on the iTunes Hip Hop albums chart.

An honorary graduate of the Centre for Sustainability Leadership in Melbourne, George has emerged as part of a vanguard of artists involved in the sustainability movement. The inaugural Speak Green winner for poetry on climate change, Watsky was twice invited by Robert Redford to perform in Sundance, Utah. He served as host of Green Mic in San Jose, California and of the culminating concert of Powershift 2007 in Washington DC, and performed at Rock the Debate in Oxford, Mississippi, prior to 2008′s first Presidential debate. His work has brought him to the opening plenary of Green Cities 2008 in Sydney, Australia, and Greenbuild Chicago, where he took the stage immediately before President Bill Clinton.

Touring while finishing his college education on a condensed schedule, George has performed at conferences and universities in more than half the states in the US, and two in Australia, appearing at some of the nation’s most notable venues, including the Apollo Theater, the Kennedy Center Concert Hall, the San Francisco Opera House and the Shrine Auditorium. He has shared billing with, among others, Beyonce, Stevie Wonder, Bonnie Raitt and Muhammad Ali.

[edit] 2011-present: A New Kind Of Sexy and Watsky & Mody

In Summer, 2011 Watsky announced his new mixtape titled "A New Kind of Sexy", which was released on Monday, August 1, 2011, at 4:00 AM Pacific Time. In the weeks leading up to the release, a track would be released each Monday. One of the tracks on the album was called "4AM Monday".

In 2011 he was offered $250,000 by T-Mobile to do an advertisement for them about a new phone but the deal fell through because George Watsky was told that he could only rap about the phone that the commercial was for.

On 1 February 2012, Watsky released a free to download album, with Kush Mody, entitled Watsky & Mody

In April 2012, Watsky announced his new mixtape entitled 'Nothing Like The First Time'. It is to be released for free on June 10, 2012. The mixtape is to coincide with his first official tour with the same name beginning in June, which includes dates such as Jacksonville and London, United Kingdom.

Discography[link]

• Invisible Inc
• Watsky (album) (2009)
• Guilty Pleasures (George Watsky album), with Procrastination (2010)
• A New Kind Of Sexy (Mixtape) (2011)
• Watsky & Mody (EP), with Kush Mody (2012)
• Nothing Like The First Time (Mixtape) (2012)

References[link]

1. ^ http://georgewatsky.com/about/
2. ^ Sher, Allyson (January 28, 2011). "WU-SLam gears up for 3rd annual Grand Slam". Student Life (St. Louis: Washington University Student Media, Inc.). http://www.studlife.com/news/2011/01/28/wu-slam-gears-up-for-3rd-annual-grand-slam/. Retrieved February 3, 2011. 
3. ^ Smart, Gordon (January 20, 2011). "Is this the world's fastest rapper?". The Sun (London). http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/3362391/Kid-posts-jaw-dropping-rap-vid.html. Retrieved February 3, 2011. 
4. ^ Johnson, Chip (April 21, 2006). "Local poets lift voices at nationals". San Francisco Chronicle (San Francisco). http://articles.sfgate.com/2006-04-21/bay-area/17291267_1_youth-culture-teens-hip-hop-concert. Retrieved February 3, 2011. 
5. ^ Atkinson, Ian (March 31, 2006). "Watsky perfection at teen poetry slam". Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California). http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=OKTB&p_theme=oktb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=1108184CE7E97010&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM. Retrieved February 3, 2011. 
6. ^ Bayer, Sarah (January 22, 2008). "Spoken word show a grand slam: VOCAL 2008, a benefit concert featuring nationally renowned slam poets, raised money for a local community center. The sold-out show electrified the audience, despite its over four-hour run time.". The Justice. http://media.www.thejustice.org/media/storage/paper573/news/2008/01/22/Music/Spoken.Word.Show.A.Grand.Slam-3160269.shtml. Retrieved February 3, 2011. 
7. ^ "George Watsky | Emerson College Student Showcase". Emerson College Student Showcase. April 2, 2010. http://eclastudentshowcase.wordpress.com/2010/04/02/george-watsky/. Retrieved July 4, 2011. 
8. ^ "George Watsky: The Ellen DeGeneres Show". The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Warner Brothers. January 24, 2011. http://ellen.warnerbros.com/videos/?autoplay=true&mediaKey=2b68a065-fccc-4233-9bc4-5a7531976e4e. Retrieved February 4, 2011. 
9. ^ Brown, Joel (December 4, 2009). "Plugging into poetry as a media platform". Boston Globe (Boston). http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2009/12/04/slam_artist_george_watsky_plugs_into_poetry_as_a_media_platform/. Retrieved February 3, 2011. 

External links[link]

• George Watsky
• Pale kid raps fast

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Peter Tosh
Peter Tosh (left) on the Bush Doctor tour in 1978, with Al Anderson (guitar) and Robbie Shakespeare (bass)
Background information
Birth name	Winston Hubert McIntosh
Also known as	Stepping Razor
Born	(1944-10-19)19 October 1944 Grange Hill, Jamaica
Origin	Westmoreland, Jamaica
Died	11 September 1987(1987-09-11) (aged 42) Jamaica
Genres	Reggae, ska, rocksteady, R&B
Occupations	Singer, musician, revolutionary
Instruments	Piano, guitar, organ, vocals, keyboard
Labels	Intel-Diplo
Associated acts	The Wailers, Bob Marley
Notable instruments
Gibson Les Paul Doublecut Special

Peter Tosh, born Winston Hubert McIntosh (19 October^[1] 1944 – 11 September 1987), was a Jamaican reggae musician who was a core member of the band The Wailers (1963–1974), and who afterwards had a successful solo career as well as being a promoter of Rastafari.

Peter Tosh was born in Grange Hill, Jamaica, and was raised by his aunt. He began to sing and learn guitar at an early age, inspired by American radio stations. After a notable career with The Wailers and as a solo musician, he was murdered at his home during a robbery.

Early music and with The Wailers[link]

At the age of fifteen, McIntosh's aunt died and he moved to Trench Town in Kingston, Jamaica. He first picked up a guitar by watching a man in the country play a song that captivated him. He watched the man play the same song for half a day, memorizing everything his fingers were doing. He then picked up the guitar and played the song back to the man whom then asked him who taught him to play and he told him that he did.^[2] During the early 1960s Tosh met Robert Nesta Marley (Bob Marley) and Neville O'Reilly Livingston (Bunny Wailer) and went to vocal teacher, Joe Higgs, who gave out free vocal lessons to young people, in hopes to form a new band. He then changed his name to become Peter Tosh and the trio started singing together in 1962. Higgs taught the trio to harmonize and while developing their music, they would often play on the street corners of Trenchtown.^[3] In 1964, he helped organize the band The Wailing Wailers, with Junior Braithwaite, a falsetto singer, and backup singers Beverley Kelso and Cherry Smith. Initially, Tosh was the only one in the group who could play musical instruments. According to Bunny Wailer, Tosh was critical to the band because he was a self-taught guitarist and keyboardist, and thus became an inspiration for the other band members to learn to play.^[4] The Wailing Wailers had a major ska hit with their first single, "Simmer Down", and recorded several more successful singles before Braithwaite, Kelso and Smith left the band in late 1965. Marley spent much of 1966 in Delaware in the United States of America with his mother, Cedella (Malcolm) Marley-Booker and for a brief time was working at a nearby Chrysler factory. He then returned to Jamaica in early 1967 with a renewed interest in music and a new spirituality. Tosh and Bunny were already Rastafarians when Marley returned from the U.S., and the three became very involved with the Rastafari faith. Soon afterwards, they renamed the musical group The Wailers. Tosh would explain later that they chose the name Wailers because to "wail" means to mourn or to, as he put it, "...express one's feelings vocally". He also claims that he was the beginning of the group, and that it was he who first taught Bob Marley the guitar. The latter claim may very well be true, for according to Bunny Wailer, they early wailers learned to play instruments from Tosh.^[4] Rejecting the up-tempo dance of ska, the band slowed their music to a rocksteady pace, and infused their lyrics with political and social messages inspired by their new found faith. The Wailers composed several songs for the American-born singer Johnny Nash before teaming with producer Lee Perry to record some of the earliest well-known reggae songs, including "Soul Rebel", "Duppy Conqueror", and "Small Axe". The collaboration had given birth to reggae music and later, bassist Aston "Family Man" Barrett and his brother, drummer Carlton Barrett would join the group in 1970. The band signed a recording contract with Chris Blackwell and Island Records company and released their debut, Catch a Fire, in 1973, following it with Burnin' the same year. The Wailers had moved from many producers after 1970 and there were instances where producers would record rehearsal sessions that Tosh did and release them in England under the name "Peter Touch".

In 1973, Tosh was driving home with his girlfriend Evonne when his car was hit by another car driving on the wrong side of the road. The accident killed Evonne and severely fractured Tosh's skull. He survived, but became more difficult to deal with. After Island Records president Chris Blackwell refused to issue his solo album in 1974, Tosh and Bunny Wailer left the Wailers, citing the unfair treatment they received from Blackwell, to whom Tosh often referred with a derogatory play on Blackwell's surname, 'Whiteworst'. Tosh had written many of the Wailers' hit songs such as "Get Up, Stand Up", "400 Years", and "No Sympathy".

Solo career[link]

Tosh began recording and released his solo debut, Legalize It, in 1976 with CBS Records company. The title track soon became popular among endorsers of marijuana legalization, reggae music lovers and Rastafarians all over the world, and was a favourite at Tosh's concerts. As Marley preached his "One Love" message, Tosh criticized the hypocritical "shitstem". He released the album Equal Rights in 1977.

Tosh organized a backing band, Word, Sound and Power, who were to accompany him on tour for the next few years, and many of whom performed on his albums of this period. In 1978 Rolling Stones Records contracted with Tosh, and the album Bush Doctor was released, introducing Tosh to a larger audience. The single from the album, a cover version of The Temptations song "Don't Look Back", performed as a duet with Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger, made Tosh one of the best-known reggae artists.

Peter Tosh with Robbie Shakespeare, 1978

During Bob Marley's free One Love Peace Concert of 1978, Tosh lit a marijuana spliff and lectured about legalizing cannabis, lambasting attending dignitaries Michael Manley and Edward Seaga for their failure to enact such legislation. Several months later he was apprehended by police as he left Skateland dance hall in Kingston and was beaten severely while in police custody^{[citation needed]}.

Mystic Man (1979), and Wanted Dread and Alive (1981) followed, released on the Rolling Stones' own record label. Tosh tried to gain some mainstream success while keeping his militant views, but was largely unsuccessful, especially compared to Marley's achievements. That same year, Tosh appeared in the Rolling Stones' video Waiting on a Friend.

In 1984, after the release of 1983's album Mama Africa, Tosh went into self-imposed exile, seeking the spiritual advice of traditional medicine men in Africa, and trying to free himself from recording agreements that distributed his records in South Africa.^{[citation needed]} Tosh had been at odds for several years with his label, EMI, over a perceived lack of promotion for his music.^[5]

Tosh also participated in the international opposition to South African apartheid by appearing at Anti-Apartheid concerts and by conveying his opinion in various songs like "Apartheid" (1977, re-recorded 1987), "Equal Rights" (1977), "Fight On" (1979), and "Not Gonna Give It Up" (1983). In 1991 Stepping Razor - Red X was released, a documentary film by Nicholas Campbell, produced by Wayne Jobson and based upon a series of spoken-word recordings of Tosh himself, which chronicled the story of the artist's life, music and untimely death. In 1987, Peter Tosh seemed to be having a career revival. He was awarded a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Performance in 1987 for No Nuclear War, his last record.^[6]

Religion[link]

Along with Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer during the late 1960s, Peter Tosh became a devotee of Rastafari.^[7] Tosh, like Marley, subsequently became a member of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.

Unicycling[link]

At some point after his departure from the Wailers, Tosh developed an interest in unicycles; he became a unicycle rider, being able to ride forwards and backwards and hop. He often amused his audiences by riding onto the stage on his unicycle for his shows. His teacher for unicycling was Kelly Carrigan. They rode side by side for years.^[8][9]

Death[link]

On 11 September 1987, just after Tosh had returned to his home in Jamaica, a three-man gang came to his house demanding money. Tosh replied that he did not have any with him but the gang did not believe him. They stayed at his residence for several hours in an attempt to extort money from Tosh and tortured him. During this time, many of Tosh's friends came to his house to greet him because of his return to Jamaica. As people arrived, the gunmen became more and more frustrated, especially the chief thug, Dennis "Leppo" Lobban, a man whom Tosh had previously befriended and tried to help find work after a long jail sentence. Tosh said he did not have any money in the house, after which Lobban put a gun to Tosh's head and shot once, killing him. The other gunmen began shooting, wounding several other people and also killing disc jockeys Doc Brown and Jeff "Free I" Dixon. Leppo surrendered to the authorities. He was sentenced to death, but his sentence was commuted in 1995 and he remains in jail. The other two gunmen were never identified by name. It is said that they were killed in a gang war a few weeks later.^[10]

M16 guitar[link]

In 1983, at the Los Angeles stop on Tosh's Mama Africa tour, a fan went to the hotel at which Tosh was staying, claiming to have a gift for him. The gift was a custom-built guitar in the shape of an M16 rifle. Tosh accepted the gift personally.^[11] The guitar was subsequently lost by the airlines when the tour went to Europe but was recovered when Tosh's public relations agent placed an article about its loss in Der Spiegel. Tosh went on to perform on stage with the guitar.^[12]

In 2006, it was announced by the promoters of the Flashpoint Film Festival that the guitar would be auctioned on eBay by Tosh's common-law wife Andrea "Marlene" Brown.^[13] Tosh's sons prevented the sale, claiming ownership of the guitar.^[14] In 2011, Andrew Tosh, Peter's son, said that the guitar was in the custody of a close friend, awaiting the opening of a museum dedicated to Peter Tosh.^[15]

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

• Legalize It (1976)
• Equal Rights (1977)
• Bush Doctor (1978)
• Mystic Man (1979)
• Wanted Dread And Alive (1981)
• Mama Africa (1983)
• No Nuclear War (1987)

Live albums[link]

• Captured Live (1984)
• Live at the One Love Peace Concert (2000)
• Live & Dangerous: Boston 1976 (2001)
• Live At The Jamaica World Music Festival 1982 (2002)
• Complete Captured Live (2004)

Compilations[link]

Listed are compilations containing material previously unreleased outside of Jamaica.

• The Toughest (Heartbeat) (1996)
• Honorary Citizen (1997)
• Scrolls Of The Prophet: The Best of Peter Tosh (1999)
• Arise Black Man (1999)
• Black Dignity (Early Works Of The Stepping Razor) (2001)
• I Am That I Am (2001)
• The Best Of Peter Tosh 1978-1987 (2003)
• Can't Blame The Youth (2004)
• Black Dignity (JAD) (2004)
• Talking Revolution (2005)
• The Ultimate Peter Tosh Experience (2009)

Appears on[link]

• Negril (Eric Gale, 1975)
• Rastafari Dub^[16] (Ras Michael & The Sons of Negus, 1975)
• Blackheart Man (Bunny Wailer, 1976)
• Protest, (Bunny Wailer, 1977)
• Word Sound and Power (Chris Hinze, 1980)

See also[link]

• Bob Marley and the Wailers
• List of Rastafarians
• List of reggae musicians
• List of vegetarians
• Reggae

References[link]

External links[link]

• Peter Tosh on Allmusic
• Discography
• Peter Tosh – Jamaicapage.com Feature
• The Wailers News
• VitalSpot – Peter Tosh