KINGSTON, Jamaica -- An eBay auction that was set to feature the Fender Stratocaster guitar once owned by reggae icon Peter Tosh, was last night canceled.
Organizers of the Flashpoint Film Festival, who were set to begin the bidding on the late singer’s guitar last night, canned the auction following complaints by Tosh’s two sons, Allison Young, a publicist for the festival said.
The guitar was put up for auction by Marlene Brown, Tosh's former girlfriend, who told the Jamaica Gleaner the late singer had given her the instrument, shaped like a M-16 rifle, as a gift.
But his sons are claiming the guitar belongs to the Peter Tosh Foundation.
Tosh, born Winston Hubert McIntosh, was a former member of the Wailers but left after a disagreement in 1974 with Islands Record executive and Wailers label management, Chris Blackwell. He went on to record his solo album, ‘Legalize It,’ in 1976 on CBS Records, which became an anthem for the legalization of ganja. He was killed by gunmen who broke in to his home in 1987 at the age of 42. He was awarded the Grammy posthumously the same year for Best Reggae Performance in "No Nuclear War.” Only one of the three killers was caught.
