Apart from the obvious, 11 September is also significant for a dramatic and tragic event with a musical connection, that happened thirty five years ago - 1987. I have to say that this wasn't a story that I was familiar with - but it is truly a shocking one!
Winston Hubert McIntosh was born in October 1944 in Westmoreland, the westernmost parish of Jamaica, but after being abandoned by his parents, he moved around various family members. But when his aunt died, a fifteen year old McIntosh found himself in Trenchtown, probably the most famous part of Kingston.
He met Bob Marley and Neville Livingstone (Bunny Wailer) in the early 60s and changed his own name to Peter Tosh. Through the late 60s and into the 70s the Wailers built up a reputation as pioneers of early reggae classics (Tosh wrote Get Up, Stand Up and 400 Years amongst others) fusing social issues and their Rastafari faith.
Tosh and Bunny left the Wailers following major disagreements with Island Records boss, Chris Blackwell. Tosh released solo albums on the Rolling Stones Record Label, including a duet with Jagger himself on Don't Look Back (a Temptations cover). He was also heavily active in the anti-apartheid movement against the South African regime, through songs like Apartheid (1977) and Fight On (1979), as well as appearing in concerts.
Hostage Situation turns bad
Dennis Lobban (Leppo) had been released from prison. He turned to Tosh for help, and Tosh had fed, nurtured and even provided a bed for him. He was allowed to visit Tosh at his Barbican Road house from time to time and had become familiar with the trained dogs Tosh kept there.
On the night of 11 September 1987, Lobban arrived at the house, but this time it wasn't food and a bed he had come for. He had two other men with him, all were armed and intent on robbing Tosh.
This is taken from the account of Marlene Brown, Tosh's common law wife, who was there and survived this night of terror.
According to Brown, the men entered the home at 7.30. Tosh, Brown had been joined by friends for some drinks - DJ, Jeff 'Free I' Brown, his wife Yvonne, herbalist Wilton 'Doc' Brown, Tosh's drummer Carlton 'Santa Davis and another musician, Michael Robinson.
When Lobban came in, he ordered everyone to lie face down on the ground. He demanded US currency from Tosh. He knew that Tosh had recently been to the United States and had been expecting to be paid in dollars - and this was why he had planned the robbery for now. The trouble was, Tosh didn't have the money, but it seems that Lobban didn't believe him.
Tosh was frisked for weapons and 'gunbutted' which potentially made him unconscious at this point. Free I and his wife, who had arrived at the house after the intrusion had started, were also laid down on the floor and all guests were stripped of any valuables.
There was then a barrage of shots reported in the room. Tosh, Free I and Wilton Brown all died instantly at the scene, Brown was hit in the head but survived. Michael Robinson's account was similar to this version of events.
A confession from a co-accused man, who had been the getaway driver, was enough to get Lobban arrested and charged. According to the journal of Isadore 'Dick' Herbert, who was the Detective Senior Superintendent on the case (but retired as Assistant Commissioner) - "Steve Russell, a taxi driver of a St. Andre address was taken into custody for questioning in connection with this investigation. He revealed that prior to the murders, he had been engaged by 'Leppo' Lobban to transport him and two men in his taxi to the Barbican Road residence of Tosh. He was not advised as to the purpose of the visit."
Lobban never revealed the names of his accomplices, although two men were apparently interrogated at the time, but never named. At trial, following direction from the judge, the jury declared Russell 'not guilty'. Lobban swore on oath that both Marlene Brown and Michael Robinson were 'carrying feelings' for him and were motivated by malice to give evidence against him. Brown, he accused had called him a 'f----ing liar' in front of Tosh - Robinson, he said, had been asking Tosh for money. Tosh had given him J$500 saying he had no money and then called Lobban his brethren, causing Robinson to give Lobban the cold shoulder the next time they met.
Lobban was found guilty of three counts of murder, his appeal in June 1990, failed. Although originally sentence to death by hanging, that was commuted in 1995 to life imprisonment. And according to the Jamaica Observer in 2012, he was still in Tower Street Correctional Centre in Kingston.
What Carlton Davis said
Carlton Davis was not just someone who drummed for Peter Tosh, he was there that horrific night, when he died. He finally spoke openly about the events and his relationship with Tosh, in Relix, in May 2018 - here are some excerpts.
"Peter Tosh was my bandmate, my friend, a brother to me. There are people that have suggested things about the events of that night in September that are just not true. It is hurtful and sad to hear these false accounts. Six people, including me, were shot. Three, including Peter, were killed."
"It [Greenwich Farm district of Kingston] was festive; the streets were lined with people drinking beer, smoking weed, and vendors selling coconut water and sugar cane. When I was about nine years old, this is where I first heard The Wailers."
"For.. the last six years of his life, there were very few days when I didn't see him or speak to him - I toured with Peter Tosh at the peak of his international fame. I remember the frenzy every time we performed..... But, the Peter Tosh I knew was accommodating, generous and kind. He was quiet, speaking only when he had something to say, and had a great sense of humour. He was humble and always gave what he could."
"What I believe started the downfall of Peter Tosh's life was a comment Marlene made to Leppo. She called him a 'batty man,' a derogatory Jamaican slang term for homosexual. Leppo then accused Peter of having no control over his wife, and he began telling people around Kingston he was going to get Tosh."
A badly wounded Davis managed to drive himself to the University of the West Indies hospital, where he was soon joined by Free I and Tosh. "I heard a doctor day, 'I'm afraid Mr Tosh has left us. It was right then that it hit me: Peter Tosh was dead."
"It's so sad that he was taken from us when really he was just getting started. I don't want the memory of how he died to eclipse how he lived. I remember him talking about apartheid when most of us didn't even know the word. He wanted to do things with his success. He wanted to build schools, to help humanity. He was a visionary.
Winston Hubert McIntosh - aka Peter Tosh: 19 October 1944 to 11 September 1987
From:
Jamaica Observer - 12 April 2012
Wikipedia
Relix - 3 May 2018
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