Ross “The Boss” Friedman, founding guitarist of power metal titans Manowar and cult punks The Dictators, has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The news was shared in a statement from his publicist, and it goes like this:
“The diagnosis followed several months of seemingly unrelated symptoms, including weakness in his arms and legs. At first, a series of minor strokes was thought to be the cause, so we adjusted his diet and exercise and brought in an extra physical therapy program, but none of it slowed the progression of the disease, and Ross’s body was no longer able to build back its strength either.”
ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that attacks the nerve cells responsible for controlling muscle movement, causing muscle tissue to weaken and eventually waste away.
Friedman co-founded the proto-punk outfit The Dictators in New York in 1973. In 1980 he became a co-founding member of the iconic metal band Manowar. He left them after the release of the album “Kings Of Metal” in 1988, but kept playing with The Dictators, and he also wrote, recorded and released albums and toured with his own group, the Ross The Boss Band.
Among the musicians living with Lou Gehrig’s disease is, for example, guitarist Jason Becker, who was diagnosed shortly after joining David Lee Roth’s backing band in 1989. Becker’s life struggle was also the subject of a 2012 film, “Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet”.
In the photo: Ross The Boss performing with his band at the Bang Your Head!!! festival on July 13, 2019, in Balingen, Germany (RockLine photo archive 2006-2026, all rights reserved). You can read the full RockLine review of that day of the festival HERE!
