Sad news dropped this afternoon when it was reported that Ross the Boss Friedman passed away after a battle with ALS. Ross rose to fame as the guitarist of the influential 70s punk rock act The Dictators, and later he joined Manowar, where his heroic guitar playing shaped the band’s sound on iconic albums like Hail to England, Into Glory Ride, and Kings of Metal.
After leaving Manowar following 1988s, Kings of Metal, Ross founded Ross the Boss, releasing 4 albums with his eponymous act, as well as playing on 4 albums by Death Dealer.
Back in February of this year, Ross announced he had been diagnosed wth ALS, and now so soon after, that awful disease has claimed his life. Because I was a huge Manowar fan growing up, I always idolized Ross and loved his style of playing. He had an epic flair that helped make Manowar the true metal champions they were, and no one sounded like him. I feel blessed I got to see him Manowar several times in the 80s, and more recently when he did a small tour playing a full set of Manowar classics with a few friends.
This feels like a huge loss to the metal community. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. Ride into glory, Ross. You won’t be forgotten.
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