McIntosh was born on August 17, 1934, in Frederiksted, St. Croix, in the United States Virgin Islands. His father, Ivan McIntosh, was an accomplished saxophonist, and his mother, Ethel McIntosh, worked at home. Ethel is credited with teaching her son the traditional melodies of the Crucian people, while Ivan taught him his first musical scale when he was twelve. Shortly thereafter, he joined a local "scratch band", and by the age of fifteen, he was playing guitar in his father's band, the Merry Makers. During his stint in this band, he toured all over St. Croix and became very familiar with his father's songs. As a child, he also joined the masquerade troupe Wild Indians, which had a major role in organizing local carnivals.
