Marty Friedman
| Marty Friedman | |
|---|---|
Marty Friedman in 2015
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Martin Adam Friedman |
| Born |
December 8, 1962 Washington, D.C. |
| Origin | Laurel, Maryland, United States |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar, bass, vocals, keyboards, shamisen |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Labels | Avex Trax/Gokukara, Shrapnel, Prosthetic |
| Associated acts | Megadeth, Racer X, Cacophony, Hawaii, Tourniquet |
| Website | www |
| Notable instruments | |
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Jackson Kelly Marty Friedman Signature Ibanez MFM1 PRS 245 Carvin V220 Marty Friedman Signature Jackson MF-1 |
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Martin Adam "Marty" Friedman (born December 8, 1962) is an American guitarist, known for his tenure as the lead guitarist for heavy metal band Megadeth which spanned nearly the full decade of the 1990s, as well as Cacophony alongside Jason Becker until 1989. Friedman has resided in Tokyo, Japan since 2003, where he has hosted Japanese television programs such as Rock Fujiyama and Jukebox English. He has released albums with several record labels, including Avex Trax and Shrapnel Records.
At the age of 14, after attending a KISS concert, Friedman took up the guitar, and is largely self-taught. He rushed to form a band and started playing original songs, the reason being that originals are easier to play than covers. "Because," he says, "even if you screw up, you just claim that the song is written like that and no one can challenge you." The mother of one of Marty's friends ran an event center with a two-level stage, and Marty and his friends used it as a rehearsal space. Soon word spread about their band, and, since they were in a rural area, people would come from miles around to socialize and listen to music. "Rehearsals" very quickly became live shows. Friedman formed and played lead guitar in several other bands, including Deuce, Hawaii (which had previously been called Vixen), and notably Cacophony. Cacophony featured neoclassical metal elements and synchronized twin guitar harmonies and counterpoints shared with guitarist Jason Becker. He played guitar on the 1987 album It Won't Be Long by Christian rock band Shout. In 1988, he recorded demos for Jet Red that eventually were released as bonus tracks on the 2009 Jet Red release "Flight Plan". In August 1988, he released his first solo album, Dragon's Kiss.
When Cacophony disbanded in 1989, Friedman auditioned for the thrash metal band Megadeth after a tip from fellow guitarist Jeff Loomis. Friedman was initially rejected by Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine for having multicolored hair. However, after undergoing what Mustaine called "Rock School 101", Friedman officially joined Megadeth in February 1990. Friedman's audition can be seen on the Megadeth DVD Arsenal of Megadeth. The first album he recorded with them was Rust in Peace which was released on September 24, 1990.Rust in Peace was certified platinum by the RIAA in 1994 and was nominated for the Best Metal Performance Grammy at the 33rd Grammy Awards.
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