Some sad news from the hard-rock world: Ross “The Boss” Friedman, the founding lead guitarist of The Dictators and Manowar, has been diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
Videos by American Songwriter
The Dictators shared the news in a statement on their social media pages. The message explained that the 72-year-old Friedman was diagnosed with ALS after experiencing “seemingly unrelated symptoms [for several months] that included weakness in his hands and legs.”
[RELATED: 6 Potent Manowar Cuts from the 1980s to Convert the Heathens]
The note also revealed Ross had suffered a “series of very minor strokes,” which “was initially thought to have been the cause” of the symptoms. Unfortunately, changes in diet, exercise, and added physical therapy didn’t slow the progression of Friedman’s symptoms or increase his strength.
In the wake of his diagnosis, Ross said in a statement, “It’s difficult to know what lies ahead, and it crushes me not to be able to play guitar, but the outpouring of love has been so, so strong. I’m absolutely blown away by the love and support from family, friends and fans. I love you all.”
ALS is a fatal progressive neurological disorder that causes muscle weakness and eventually affects a person’s ability to walk, talk, swallow, and breathe. There is no known cure.
More About Ross “The Boss” Friedman
Known for his blazing guitar work, Friedman co-founded the influential New York City proto-punk band The Dictators in 1973 with bassist, singer, and songwriter Andy Shernoff and rhythm guitarist Scott “Top Ten” Kempner. Longtime frontman “Handsome Dick” Manitoba joined the group in 1974.
After The Dictators temporarily broke up in 1980, Ross “The Boss” briefly played with a French rock band called Shakin’ Street before forming the heavy-metal group Manowar with bassist Joey DeMaio.
Friedman played on Manowar’s first six studio albums and also was a contributing songwriter. In 1988, DeMaio asked Friedman to leave the band. By 1990, Ross had joined Manitoba’s Wild Kingdom, which also featured his former Dictators bandmates Manitoba and Shernoff. This led to the 1995 relaunch of The Dictators, with whom Ross played through 2008.
During the 2000s, Friedman also played in The Brain Surgeons with original Blue Öyster Cult drummer Albert Bouchard. During the 2010s, Ross “The Boss” played with Manitoba in a Dictators spinoff group.
In 2017, Friedman was inducted into the Metal Hall of Fame as a member of Manowar.
The Dictators re-formed again in 2020 with Ross, Shernoff, Kempner, and Bouchard. Sadly, Kempner had to bow out of the group in 2021 as he battled early-onset dementia. He died in 2023. In 2021, Frankenstein 3000 frontman Keith Roth joined The Dictators as lead singer and rhythm guitarist.
The band released a new self-titled studio album in 2024 and remained active through 2025.
(Photo by Lorne Thomson/Redferns)
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.