Loading details…
Artist
Ross the Boss
12+ albums
heavy metalPower metalmetaltrue metalUSA
about
Ross Friedman (born 3 January 1954, New York City - 26 March 2026), also known as Ross Funicello or Ross The Boss, was a guitarist best known as a founding member of both the punk band The Dictators and the heavy metal band Manowar. Ross The Boss has been a prolific musician since the early 70's when he was just a little bit too metal and just a little bit too skilled to find himself lumped in with the punk rock guitar players his band The Dictators paved the way for. Best known for his work as co-founder and original guitar player of the legendary Manowar, he has co-written some of the most beloved songs of the genre. Friedman joined the New York based punk band The Dictators as guitarist in 1973. After recording 3 albums with them Friedman went to France and worked for one year in Fabienne Shine band Shakin' Street. On Black Sabbath's Heaven and Hell tour in 1980 (on which Shakin' Street were the support act) Friedman met bass player Joey DeMaio. Later in 1980 Friedman and DeMaio formed Manowar with whom he recorded six albums before leaving the band after the 1988 album Kings of Metal. He returned to his old friends to play in a band called "Manitoba's Wild Kingdom" which eventually evolved back into The Dictators. All the members of the Dictators continue to do side projects. In 1994 he had a blues rock band called Heyday and in 1999 he vowed to put the fun back in Rock-N-Roll with The Spinatras. 2004 saw him join Albert Bouchard, the original drummer for Blue Öyste
