Founding MANOWAR guitarist Ross "The Boss" Friedman died on March 26, 2026, following a battle with ALS that was announced publicly just weeks earlier in February. He was 72 years old.
Friedman was an architect of MANOWAR's early sound. As co-founder and lead guitarist, he appeared on the band's first four studio albums — Battle Hymns (1982), Into Glory Ride (1983), Hail to England (1984), and Sign of the Hammer (1984) — records that established the blueprint for epic heavy metal and influenced countless bands worldwide. Songs like "Dark Avenger," "Gates of Valhalla," and "Warrior of the World" remain cornerstones of the genre.
Before MANOWAR, Friedman was a member of The Dictators, one of New York's pioneering proto-punk bands. After departing MANOWAR in 1988, he released a string of solo albums, toured extensively under the Ross the Boss name, and continued performing well into his later years, proving that his love for heavy metal never diminished.
The metal community responded with an outpouring of tributes. His former MANOWAR bandmates, Joey DeMaio and Eric Adams, issued a joint statement calling Friedman "a titan whose riffs helped forge this entire genre." Guitarist Michael Schenker, ACCEPT's Wolf Hoffmann, and dozens of other metal figures shared condolences online.
Ross Friedman's legacy is carved in steel. His raw, powerful guitar work on those first four MANOWAR records remains among the most beloved in heavy metal history, and his influence will be felt for generations to come.