Marty Friedman: Rock Guitarist Turned Japanese TV Star
Marty Friedman is a well-known TV personality in Japan, having appeared in over 700 TV shows, commercials and movies.
Perhaps many people who know him only from his TV appearances would be surprised to learn that he is also an internationally famous guitarist.
Outside Japan, Friedman is best known for his time as lead guitarist with the heavy metal band Megadeth. Friedman joined Megadeth in 1990 and stayed with them for 10 years, during which they produced some of their most famous albums.
With Megadeth, Friedman often toured Japan, and as he became more interested in the country, he started studying Japanese, which he now speaks fluently.
After leaving Megadeth, Friedman moved to Japan in 2004 to follow his interest in Japanese pop music. There he joined the band of pop singer Nanase Aikawa, and he has since played with other Japanese singers and bands, including Ami Suzuki, Momoiro Clover Z and AKB48.
Some may be surprised that a heavy metal guitarist would be a J-pop fan, but as Friedman explained in an interview with Consequence: "There's a lot of heavy metal influence. People get scared when they hear the word 'pop,' but there's guitar going crazy in it."
His Japanese TV career began in 2005 when he became a regular presenter on the music show Hebimeta San — or "Mr. Heavy Metal" — and he followed this with another show called Rock Fujiyama.
Friedman now regularly appears on Japanese TV, and in 2016 he was named a Japanese heritage ambassador by the Japanese government. Soon after, he was asked to write the Japan Heritage Official Theme Song, which he recorded with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra.
However, Friedman hasn't forgotten his old band, Megadeth. On February 27, 2023, Megadeth played at the Budokan arena in Tokyo. For the first time in 23 years, Friedman joined them to play three of their classic hits — and was greeted by wild cheers from the fans.
