“It crushes me not to be able to play guitar”: Manowar founding guitarist Ross ‘The Boss’ Friedman diagnosed with ALS

Manowar’s founding guitarist Ross “The Boss” Friedman has been diagnosed with ALS.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, which leads to motor neuron death, muscle atrophy, and weakness.

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes (NINDS), eventually in people with ALS, the brain loses its ability to start and control voluntary movements such as walking, talking, chewing, and other functions, as well as breathing.

ALS is the same disease that is suffered by Jason Becker, who was diagnosed in 1990.

Friedman’s own diagnosis came following several months of seemingly unrelated symptoms that included weakness in his hands and knees.

The cause was initially thought to have been a series of minor strokes, but changes in diet, exercise and added physiotherapy, utilized to improve symptoms, proved ineffective.

There is no cure for ALS and it is ultimately fatal. John Hopkins Medicine reports that the disease can progress over a three-to-five year period.

“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,” says Friedman. “I’m absolutely blown away by the love and support from family, friends and fans. I love you all.”

Friedman co-founded The Dictators in 1973, and seven years later founded Manowar with bassist Joey DeMaio. Across his career, he’s also played in Death Dealer, The Spinatras and The Brain Surgeons, among others, injecting each group with his singular rapid-fire, melody-first guitar style.

In 2017, he was inducted into the Metal Hall of Fame. In a 2022 interview with Guitar World, Friedman discussed his go-to gear choices and how Wes Montgomery’s jazz stylings inspired his metal solos.