Life and career
Early life
Friedman was born in the Bronx, New York, on January 3, 1954.
1973–1988: the Dictators, Shakin' Street, and Manowar
He formed the punk rock band the Dictators with Andy Shernoff in 1973. After recording three albums with the group, Friedman moved to France in 1979 and played guitar in Fabienne Shine's band Shakin' Street until 1981, recording one album with them.
On Black Sabbath's 1980 Heaven and Hell tour, which was supported by Shakin' Street, Friedman was introduced to bass player Joey DeMaio. Later that year, the two formed the heavy metal band Manowar, with whom Friedman recorded six albums, before DeMaio asked him to leave in 1988.
1989–2006: Manitoba's Wild Kingdom and other projects
In 1989, Friedman joined the Dictators spin-off band Manitoba's Wild Kingdom, which released one album the following year. He later formed the Pack, Heyday, and the Spinatras.
The Dictators resumed playing in 1995, and Friedman stayed with them until 2008, during which time they issued one studio album. In 2004, Friedman joined Brain Surgeons, with whom he recorded their last album, in 2006. The same year, he recorded Thunderboss with Dictators drummer J.P. "Thunderbolt" Patterson.
2005–2026: Ross the Boss band and Death Dealer
In 2005, Friedman formed his own band, simply titled Ross the Boss, mostly consisting of members of the German cover band Men of War. They played classic Manowar tracks as well as new material. They released their debut album, New Metal Leader, in 2008, and followed it two years later with Hailstorm, which received 4.5 out of 5 stars on AllMusic.
In 2012, Friedman, together with Cage vocalist Sean Peck, Empires of Eden guitarist Stu Marshall, bassist Mike Davis, and Manowar drummer Kenny Earl "Rhino" Edwards, formed the metal supergroup Death Dealer. A year later, they released the album War Master, following up with Hallowed Ground (2015), Conquered Lands (2020), and Reign of Steel (2026).
On January 18, 2017, Friedman was inducted into the Metal Hall of Fame for his contributions to metal music while with Manowar.
Illness and death
On February 9, 2026, Friedman announced that he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. He died of the disease a month later, on March 26, at the age of 72.
