Marty Friedman has sold over 10 million albums with the multi-platinum band Megadeth. He has also a dedicated following for his own solo albums which stylistically range from orchestral soundtrack style music to furious aggressive rock, with the common thread being Marty`s unique and tasty sense of melody. His latest album is called `Music For Speeding` and it marks his solo debut with the heavy hitting major label Universal Japan as well as Steve Vai`s Favored Nations label in the US. Marty has toured the world several times over very successfully withMegadeth. Along with touring, he is in high demand to do music/guitar seminars and clinics all over the U.S., Asia, Europe and South America, which he has done hundreds to date. Marty is also a regular columnist for Guitar World magazine, Young Guitar magazine (Japan) and Burrn Magazine in which he writes a column in Japanese, a reader favorite. Marty has designed his own signature model guitar with Jackson Guitars (the KE-1) that has been selling consistently since it was put on the market. He has just begun an endorsement relationship with Ibanez. His new 'Marty Friedman model' guitar will make its world debut in Oct '05 at the Tokyo Music Show. Along with doing his solo performances around the world, Marty is currently touring and recording with Japanese mega-star Aikawa Nanase.
Before joining Megadeth in Feb.1990, Marty was in a band called Cacophony, which released 2 albums (among their indie label's highest selling) and toured the U.S. and Japan. This band highlighted the potent guitar playing of Marty and fellow guitarist Jason Becker (who was to join David Lee Roth's band and record an album with him in 1990). Marty has received extremely high acclaim and many awards around the world for his unmistakably `Marty-esque` way of playing the guitar.
Marty is from Washington D.C. originally but has lived in many places including Hawaii, Germany and California, giving him an odd and interesting approach to making his music. He currently resides in Tokyo
