On September 9, 1987, Copeland Forbes was in San Diego, California, when he got a telephone call from Peter Tosh in Jamaica. The singer-songwriter was arranging a comeback tour and approached his former manager about going on the road with him.

Two days later, Forbes got another call from Jamaica, this time informing him that the fiery Rastafarian had been murdered at his St Andrew home.

Forbes will recall his personal and professional relationship with “The Stepping Razor” during the Peter Tosh Symposium, scheduled for October 16 at the Undercroft, The University of the West Indies, Mona campus.

It will be his first appearance at the annual forum since 2015.

“This is going to be special because it’s going to be my last time [presenting at the symposium] in Jamaica, because I don’t want to be overexposed. This is going to be a preview to my tour next year,” Forbes told the Jamaica Observer.

His presentation on Wednesday comprises chapters from that book, as well as videos of interviews with individuals who knew Peter Tosh well, including Bunny Wailer, a founding member of The Wailers with Tosh and Bob Marley.

While he had known Peter Tosh for several years, Forbes became his official manager in 1981. He stayed in that role for four years before leaving to work in a similar position with Black Uhuru.

Forbes says his time with Tosh saw a number of career highs for the controversial artiste. He realized a long-time dream to perform in Africa, which he accomplished in Swaziland in December 1983; that year he also performed at the Billboard Awards.

Peter Tosh, disc jockey Jeff “Free I” Dixon, and self-styled herbalist Wilton “Doc” Brown were killed by three gunmen at his Barbican home.

Marlene Brown, the artiste’s lover, and Carlton “Santa” Davis, a drummer in his band, were injured in the attack.

Dennis “Leppo” Lobban, a former friend of Tosh, led the bloody attack. He was initially sentenced to hang but that was commuted to a life sentence in 1995.

Tosh won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album with No Nuclear War in 1988.

His daughter Niambe Tosh, Alan “Skill” Cole, former manager of The Wailers, Dr Dennis Howard, and event organizer Dr Michael Barnett, will also address the Peter Tosh Symposium.

By Howard Campbell/Observer Senior Writer—