TLDR
Ross “The Boss” Friedman, founding guitarist for the Dictators and Manowar, has died at 72 after a battle with ALS, leaving a fierce legacy that bridged New York punk and chest-thumping heavy metal.
The Bronx native, born Ross Friedman, became a cult hero in two very different scenes. His death on March 26 was announced shortly after he publicly revealed an Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis, a late chapter that unfolded quickly and very much in public view.
His official social media page delivered the news in language that echoed the way fans saw him: “It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of the Bronx’s own Ross The Boss Friedman, who died last night after battling ALS.” The statement called him “a legendary guitarist and beloved father” and added, “His music and spirit impacted fans around the world as much as you impacted him. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support you all have shown throughout his career and especially these last few months.”
Friedman emerged in the early 1970s, as New York’s punk scene was still finding its name. In 1973, he co-founded the Dictators with friends Andy Shernoff and Scott Kempner. The band folded pro-wrestling bravado, wiseguy humor, and bruising riffs into a sound that helped set the tone for what punk would become.
Across three studio albums, the Dictators carved out a reputation as musicians’ musicians and future-icon favorites. Their 1977 LP “Manifest Destiny” even cracked the Billboard 200 Albums chart, a small but telling sign that this snarling, outsider music was beginning to push into the mainstream.
By 1980, Friedman was ready for another pivot. After a stint in the French hard rock group Shakin’ Street, which opened for Black Sabbath, he linked up with Sabbath bass tech Joey DeMaio. Together, they formed Manowar, a band that treated heavy metal not as a genre but as a mythic calling.
During his decade in Manowar, Friedman appeared on six albums, including the 1984 release “Hail to England,” later ranked Number 87 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time. His guitar work there was all blazing melody and ironclad rhythm, the sound of denim, leather, and raised fists.
Manowar embraced the slogan “Death to false metal” and once held a Guinness World Record as the loudest band in the world. For some, that extremity felt over the top. For loyalists, it was a promise that Ross The Boss and his bandmates would never water anything down.
In their tribute, Manowar framed his impact in simple terms: “It is with great sadness that we have learned of the passing of Ross The Boss Friedman, following his recently announced ALS diagnosis,” the band said. “Music was Ross’s life, and he left his mark across both heavy metal and punk rock. Our condolences go out to his family, friends, and fans everywhere.”
That double mark is his legacy. In the 1970s, he helped sketch the attitude that would define punk. In the 1980s, he became the guitar hero for fans who wanted their metal louder, prouder, and utterly uncompromising. Many listeners found him twice, first on battered Dictators vinyl and later on Manowar cassettes traded between friends.
ALS cut his story short, but the records remain. For Gen X and Baby Boomer fans who grew up in clubs, basements, and arenas where his riffs shook the walls, Ross The Boss is now part of the same electric memory as CBGB and packed metal festivals. The volume may have dropped in the room, but on playlists and turntables, he is still playing at full blast.
How did you first discover Ross The Boss Friedman, through the Dictators or Manowar? Share your memories, favorite tracks, and concert stories with fellow fans.
