Ross Friedman (January 3, 1954 – March 26, 2026), also known as Ross the Boss, was an American guitarist, known as a founding member of both the punk band the Dictators and the heavy metal band Manowar.

On February 9, 2026, Friedman announced that he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). He died of the disease a month later, on March 26, at the age of 72.

Ross was born in the Bronx, New York, on January 3, 1954. He formed the punk rock band the Dictators with Andy Shernoff in New Paltz, New York, in 1973. Before this, Friedman had played in a local band, Total Crudd. After recording three albums with the Dictators, Friedman went to France and worked for one year in Fabienne Shine’s band Shakin’ Street.

On Black Sabbath’s Heaven and Hell tour in 1980 (on which Shakin’ Street were the support act), Friedman was introduced to bass player Joey DeMaio by Ronnie James Dio. Later in 1980, Friedman and DeMaio formed Manowar, with whom he recorded six albums before DeMaio asked him to leave the band after the 1988 album Kings of Metal.

In 1990, Friedman joined Manitoba’s Wild Kingdom with fellow Dictators Andy Shernoff and Handsome Dick Manitoba. With drummer J. P. Patterson the band released the album …And You? to critical acclaim.

In 1994, Friedman had a blues rock band called “Heyday”, and in 1999, CMC records released the Spinatras album @Midnight.com, a band whom Friedman described as “The Dictators meet Cheap Trick”.

The Dictators started playing again in 1996, touring heavily. In 2001, with original rhythm guitar player Scott Kempner now back in the fold, the band released their best effort, the mighty album “D.F.F.D.”, which they then toured to support in the U.S. and Europe. A resulting live album was released from the European tour, entitled “Viva Dictators”.

In 2004, Friedman joined Albert Bouchard, the original drummer for Blue Öyster Cult, in his band Brain Surgeons. He also recorded an instrumental album with Dictators drummer JP Thunderbolt Patterson, called imaginatively Thunderboss.

In July 2005, Friedman joined Manowar onstage at the Earthshaker Festival, performing “Metal Daze” and “Dark Avenger” with them. At the end of the concert, he also performed “Battle Hymn” with other past and present members of Manowar.

In October 2006, Friedman and The Dictators played Friday and Saturday nights of the closing weekend at punk rock venue CBGBs, one of the clubs where they got their start.

In 2008, it included an appearance with old sparring partner Handsome Dick Manitoba in Manitoba’s Wild Kingdom at the 2008 Joey Ramone Birthday Bash, performances with Shakin’ Street at the Sweden Rock Festival, and a few tour dates in Spain with The Dictators. He released a new album in August with his German metal band under the name “Ross the Boss” called “New Metal Leader”. The following month, he appeared on Inner Demons, the second album by the New Jersey metallers Skullshifter, playing lead guitar on the track “Etched in Sand”.

He recently played in a reimagined lineup of The Dictators without HDM, but released an impressive album that was self-titled. Managed to meet him several times, and he was always very pleasant, polite and courteous even when joking with Manitoba.

On January 18, 2017, Friedman was inducted into the Hall of Heavy Metal History for his contributions to Speed Metal while in Manowar. His musical output was varied to say the least, but leaves behind classics from The Dictators and Metal titans Manowar. Rock in peace, Mr Boss. The world is a quieter place without you in it. Go play a Dictators record or ‘All Men Play On Ten’ and remember Ross The Fuckin’ Boss.