Jeff Scott Soto

Jeff Scott Soto (born November 4, 1965) is an American rock singer and songwriter of Puerto Rican descent. He is best known for being the vocalist on Yngwie Malmsteen's first two albums, and the lead vocalist for Journey in 2006–2007. Soto also sang lead vocals in the band Eyes. He also had a long tenure as the front man of hard rock band Talisman. Currently he works as a solo artist, with his self-named band SOTO and as the vocalist of supergroups W.E.T., Sons of Apollo (also as the band's primary lyricist), and Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
His style ranges from hard rock to power metal, being influenced by classic soul singers as Sam Cooke as well as Journey's Steve Perry, and Freddie Mercury of Queen.
Career
In 1982, after performing in several local cover bands, Soto recorded several songs as lead singer for the band Kanan. In 1984, Soto provided vocals for virtuoso guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen's debut album Rising Force and his next album Marching Out a year later.
Soto has performed with a wide variety of bands, including Panther, Axel Rudi Pell, Eyes, Talisman, Takara, Humanimal, Human Clay, Kryst The Conqueror, Redlist, Dewa 19, The Boogie Knights, Soul SirkUS and Octavision. As a session musician, Soto also performed backing vocals for artists such as Lita Ford, Steelheart, Glass Tiger, House of Lords, Stryper, and Saigon Kick.
He also sang for the fictional band Steel Dragon, which featured Zakk Wylde, Jeff Pilson and Jason Bonham for the soundtrack of the movie Rock Star along with Michael Matijevic of the band Steelheart, whose second album featured Soto on background vocals.
Soto performed at the 2000 annual OIQFC 'Freddie Mercury Birthday Party' at Reading in the UK, where he performed "Dragon Attack" with Brian May. Since then, Soto has joined Queen sideman Spike Edney's band, the Spike All Stars. Soto then appeared with Brian May and Roger Taylor at the 'Hollywood Walk of Fame' bash for the Official International Queen Fan Club. In 2012 Taylor hired Soto as one of the four singers chosen for the official tribute band Queen Extravaganza. The band was formed via internet auditions and features Freddie Mercury soundalike Marc Martel. Soto and singer Yvan Pedneault were added to the lineup to augment the selected singers, in an effort to better emulate Queen songs live. However, Soto only did one tour with the group; they continued with a smaller production and line up.
Soto's solo album Damage Control was released on Frontiers Records in March 2012. His next venture was a band eponymously named SOTO, a new band where he could flex his muscles with a modern, Power Metal vibe. "Inside The Vertigo" was released on January 30, 2015 with earMUSIC. The album was co-written alongside Gus G, Mike Orlando and other members of his solo band at that time who were invited to the newly merged SOTO. In 2016, they released DIVAK on earMUSIC and embarked on a World Tour which included supporting Winery Dogs in May 2016 in South America. This support slot would serve as the chance for Winery Dogs drummer Mike Portnoy to 'scout' Soto for the venture that would become Sons of Apollo. SOTO recorded and released their third studio album 'Origami' in 2019 with new bassist Tony Dickinson, who replaced the recently deceased David Z, who tragically lost his life in 2017 as a touring member of Adrenaline Mob.
In 2015, Soto recorded vocals for Joel Hoekstra's 13, contributing to the album Dying to Live. Soto split vocal duties with Russell Allen on the album.
In 2018, SOTO recorded their 3rd album Origami, released in May 2019.
Soto released another solo album, Retribution in November 2017. In early 2020 he completed work on his 7th solo album as well as scheduled a live album for release in July.
2020 saw the release of 2 solo albums on Frontiers Records, "Jeff Scott Soto - Loud & Live In Milan 2019", recorded live at the annual Frontiers Rock Festival and "Wide Awake (In My Dreamland)" co-written and produced by Alessandro Del Vecchio. In 2021, he released an album titled "The Duets Collection - Volume 1" in which he re-recorded songs throughout his vast career as vocal duets with the likes of Eric Martin, Dino Jelusick, Russell Allen, Johnny Gioeli, Nathan James, Erik Martensson, and others on the Frontiers label. 2022 saw Soto release his seventh studio solo album "Complicated".
Talisman
Soto was one of the founding members of Talisman in 1989. He was in the group up until their disbandment in 2007.
Talisman regrouped in December 2019 to record a tribute track for bassist Marcel Jacob on the 10th anniversary of his death.
Journey
In 2006, Soto replaced Steve Augeri in Journey after Augeri left the tour due to an acute throat infection. After months of being a tour replacement, Soto was officially hired as the band's singer in December 2006. However, the stint was short-lived, as he was fired from the band on June 12, 2007. Soto stated on his website "it seems they wanted something different than I brought to the table. No love lost though, they know what's best for the preservation of their legacy." He later mentioned the gig did not work out because former vocalist Steve Perry was still alive and could hypothetically rejoin the band, hurting fan expectations of any replacement singers. Although he was officially introduced as the lead singer of Journey, the band has not mentioned Soto in recent lookbacks and biographies, skipping over him entirely for his replacement Arnel Pineda.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Soto joined Trans-Siberian Orchestra as a touring singer in 2008. Soto has continually toured with the group, stating "I will be a part of Trans-Siberian Orchestra as long as they'll have me."
W.E.T.
Alongside members of Work Of Art and Eclipse, Soto founded W.E.T. The group, named after the initials of the band involved, Soto's representing Talisman, released a self-titled debut album in November 2009. In 2013, they released their second album Rise Up, and their third studio album Earthrage followed in 2018.
They began recording a new album in 2020 released as "Retransmission".
Sons of Apollo
In May 2017, he joined a progressive metal supergroup named Sons of Apollo with Derek Sherinian, bassist Billy Sheehan, drummer Mike Portnoy and guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal. Their debut album, Psychotic Symphony, was released October 20, 2017, with Inside Out/Sony.
After releasing a live DVD/album in 2019, 'Live With The Plovdiv Psychotic Symphony', Sons of Apollo released their second album MMXX in January 2020. They started the World Tour early 2020 but was interrupted 4 shows into their European tour by the Covid-19 outbreak.
Octavision
In 2020, alongside his Sons Of Apollo co-bandmate Billy Sheehan, Soto was invited by a Glendale, California based Armenian guitarist Hovak Alaverdyan to participate in his progressive metal project Octavision. There, Soto performed vocal duties on two tracks - "Coexist" and "Apocalyptus". The album titled Coexist was released on December 29, 2020.
Personal life
Soto was born in Brooklyn, New York, his family moved to Los Angeles when he was a child. He spent his youth singing, learning trumpet and keyboards.
In 2012, he married his long-term girlfriend Elena. He has a son from a previous marriage, and two step-children.
Discography
Solo career
Studio albums
Love Parade (1994)
Holding On - EP (2002)
Prism (2002)
Lost in the Translation (2004)
Believe in Me - EP (2006)
Beautiful Mess (2009)
Damage Control (2012)
Retribution (2017)
Wide Awake (In My Dreamland) (2020)
The Duets Collection, Vol. 1 (2021)
Complicated (2022)
Live albums
JSS Live at the Gods 2002 (2003)
Live at the Queen Convention 2003 (2004)
One Night in Madrid (2009)
Live at Firefest 2008 (2010)
Compilation albums
Essential Ballads (2006)
B-Sides (2006)
DVDs
JSS Live at the Gods 2002 (2003)
Live at the Queen Convention 2003 (2004)
One Night In Madrid (2009)
with Rising Force
Rising Force (1984)
Marching Out (1985)
Inspiration (1996)
Singles
"Studio/Live '85" (1985)
"I am a Viking" (Japan, 1985)
DVDs
Live In Japan '85 (2015)
with Kryst the Conqueror
Deliver Us From Evil (1989)
with Eyes
Eyes (1990)
Windows Of The Soul (1993)
Singles
"Calling All Girls" (1990)
"Nobody Said It Was Easy" (1990)
with Talisman
Studio albums
Talisman (1990)
Genesis - (1993)
Humanimal (1994)
Humanimal Part II (1994)
Life (1995)
Truth (1998)
Cats and Dogs (2003)
7 (2006)
Live albums
Five out of Five (Live in Japan) (1994)
Live at Sweden Rock Festival (2001)
Five Men Live (2005)
Compilation albums
Best of... (1996)
BESTerious (1996)
Vaults (2015)
Singles
"Just Between Us" (1990)
"I'll be Waiting" (Sweden, 1990)
"Mysterious (This Time is Serious)" (1993)
"Time after Time" (1993)
"Doing Time With My Baby" (1994)
"Colour My XTC" (1994)
"All + All" (1994)
"Frozen" (1995)
"Crazy" (1998)
"Never Die (A Song For Marcel)" (2019)
DVDs
The World's Best Kept Secret (2005)
with Axel Rudi Pell
Eternal Prisoner (1992)
The Ballads (1993)
Between the Walls (1994)
Made In Germany - Live (1995)
Black Moon Pyramid (1996)
Magic (1997)
Magic Moments: 25th Anniversary Special Show - Live (2015)
Singles
"Forever Young" (1994)
"Cry of the Gypsy" (1994)
DVD / Blu-ray:
Magic Moments: 25th Anniversary Special Show - Live (2015)
with Takara
Eternal Faith (1993)
Taste of Heaven (1995)
Eternity: Best of 93 - 98 - Compilation (1998)
Blind in Paradise (1998)
with Human Clay
Human Clay (1996)
u4ia (1997)
Closing the Book on Human Clay (2003)
The Complete Recordings (2015)
with Steel Dragon
Rock Star (Music from the Motion Picture) (2001)
with Humanimal
Humanimal (2002)
Find My Way Home - EP (2002)
with Soul SirkUS
World Play (2005)
with Redlist
Ignorance (2007)
with W.E.T.
W.E.T. (2009)
Rise Up (2013)
One Live in Stockholm (2014)
Earthrage (2018)
Retransmission (2021)
'yet to be titled' (2024)
Singles
"One Love" (2009)
"Comes Down Like Rain" (2009)
"Brothers In Arms" (2009)
"Learn to Live Again" (2012)
"Love Heals" (2013)
"Watch the Fire" (2018)
"Big Boys Don't Cry" (2020)
"Got to be About Love" (2020)
with Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Night Castle (2009)
Letters From the Labyrinth (2015)
with SOTO
Inside the Vertigo (2015)
Divak (2016)
Origami (2019)
Revision (2020)
with 13
Dying to Live (2015)
Running Games (2021)
with Sons of Apollo
Psychotic Symphony (2017)
Alive / Tengo Vida - EP (2018)
Live With The Plovdiv Psychotic Symphony (2019)
MMXX (2020)
with Ellefson-Soto
Vacation in the Underworld (2022)
Guest appearances – lead vocals
Threshold - Threshold - 1983
Panther - Panther - 1986
Dragonne - On Dragons Wings - 1988
Kuni - Lookin' For Action - 1988
Alex Masi - Attack Of The Neon Shark - 1989
Skrapp Mettle - Sensitive - 1991
Rich Girl - Rich Girl: Original Soundtrack Unreleased - 1991
Biker Mice From Mars - Biker Mice From Mars: Original Soundtrack - 1993
Da Black Side Brown - Da Black Side Brown - 1994
Gary Schutt - Sentimetal - 1994
Hollywood Underground - Hollywood Underground - 1996
Yngwie Malmsteen - Inspiration - 1996
The Boogie Knights - Welcome To The Jungle Boogie - 1997
Ken Tamplin And Friends - Wake The Nations - 2003
Chris Catena - Freak Out! - 2003
Christian Rivel's Audiovision - The Calling - 2003
Laudamus - Lost In Vain - 2003
Roger Sause - Freestyle Funk - 2004
Edge of Forever - Feeding The Fire - 2004
Michael Schenker - Heavy Hitters - Doctor Doctor: The Kulick Sessions - By Invitation Only - 2005
Jorge Salán - Chronicles of an Evolution - 2007
Tempestt - Bring 'Em On - 2007
Taka Minamino - AngelWing - 2009
Jorge Salán - Estatuas en la calle - 2010
Danger Angel - Danger Angel - 2010
Jane Bogaert - Fifth Dimension - 2010
Last Autumn's Dream – A Touch of Heaven - 2010
"The Flames Still Burns" - from "Ballroom Hamburg — A Decade of Rock" compilation (2010)
Pushking - The World as We Love it - 2011
Evolution - Evolution - 2011
Talon - III - 2011
Mitch Malloy - II - 2011
Wolfpakk - Wolfpakk - 2011
Last Autumn's Dream - Nine Lives - 2011
Koritni - Welcome To The Crossroads - 2012
Reign of the Architect - Rise - 2012
AOR - The Secrets Of L.A - 2013
The Dave K Project - Resurrection / True Lies - 2013
Gus G - I Am The Fire - "Summer Days" - 2014
Gus G - Brand New Revolution - 2015
Joel Hoekstra - Dying To Live - 2015
AOR - L.A. Darkness - 2016
Lita Ford - Time Capsule - 2016
Lola Astanova - Freedom - 2016
RTfact - Life is Good- 2017
Brad Jurgens - Deranged- 2017
Band of Brothers - Band of Brothers- 2017
HighWay - "Wake Up" - 2017
Jason Bieler - Hope & Strife E.P. - 2018
Jimmy Waldo & Steven Rosen - Voices From The Past - 2018
Schubert In Rock - Commander of Pain - 2018
Octavision - Coexist - 2020
Black Maze Rose - Black Maze Rose (on "Laws Of Attraction") - 2020
Jason Bieler - Songs for the Apocalypse - 2021
Star One - Revel in Time (on "Back from the Past") - 2022
Sky Empire - The Shifting Tectonic Plates of Power - Part One - 2023
Various Artists tributes albums
Smoke On The Water: A Tribute to Deep Purple (1994): "Hush"
Dragon Attack: A Tribute to Queen (1996): "Save Me "
Hot For Remixes: Tribute to Van Halen (1999): "So This Is Love (Sheep On Drugs Remix)"
Head Soup: A Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne (2000): "Shot In The Dark"
Little Guitars: A Tribute to Van Halen (2000): "So This Is Love" (Re-released)
Tribute To Aerosmith: Let The Tribute Do The Talkin (2001): "Cryin'"
An All-Star Lineup Performing The Songs of Pink Floyd (2002): "Us & Them"
Warmth In The Wilderness: A Tribute to Jason Becker (2002): "Desert Island"
We Salute You: A Tribute to AC/DC (2004): "Problem Child"
Numbers from the Beast: An All-Star Salute to Iron Maiden (2004): "Aces High"
The Sweet According to Sweden: A Tribute to The Sweet (2004): "Love Is Like Oxygen"
24/7/365: The Tribute to Led Zeppelin (2004): "Royal Orleans"
The Crown Jewels: A Tribute to Queen (2005): "We Will Rock You"
80s Metal Tribute to Van Halen (2006): "So This Is Love" (Re-released)
Butchering The Beatles (2006): "Magical Mystery Tour"
Guest appearances – backing vocals
Rated X - Matter Of Time E.P. - 1987 (Uncredited)
House of Lords - House of Lords - 1988
Glass Tiger - Simple Mission - 1990
Stryper - Against the Law - 1990
Stryper - Can't Stop the Rock - 1991
Saigon Kick - Saigon Kick - 1991
Lita Ford - Dangerous Curves - 1991
McQueen Street - McQueen Street - 1991
Randy Jackson's China Rain - Bed of Nails - 1992
Steelheart - Tangled in Reins - 1992
Babylon A.D. - Nothing Sacred - 1992
Lita Ford - Black - 1992
Mitch Malloy - Mitch Malloy - 1992
Slaughter - The Wild Life - 1992
Pariah - To Mock a Killingbird - 1993
Thomas Vikstrom - If I Could Fly - 1993
Monster - Through The Eyes of the World - 1995
Amalgan - Delicate Stretch of the Seems - 1997
Paul Gilbert - Alligator Farm - 1997
Fergie Frederiksen - Equilibrium - 1999
Neil Turbin - Threatcon Delta - 2003
Takara - Invitation to Forever - 2008
Dokken - Lightning Strikes Again - 2008
Mad Max - Here We Are - 2008
Danger Angel - Revolutia - 2013
Danger Angel - All The King's Horses - 2016
Beg, Borrow & Steal - Push And Shove (The Lost Album) - 2017 (Recorded in 1991) (Uncredited)
Ronnie Montrose - 10 x 10 - 2017: on "Still Singin' With The Band" and "I'm Not Lying"
Harem Scarem - United - 2017
Big Clyde - Freakin' Out - 2022
Guest songwriting
Khymera - A New Promise - 2005: "You Can't Take Me (Away from You)"
Uriah Heep - Living The Dream - 2018: "Grazed By Heaven"
As producer
Spektra - Overload - 2021
References
Sources
External links
Jeff Scott Soto official website
Photo Gallery from JSS/Tempestt concert in Madrid
Interview
American heavy metal singers
American male singers
American musicians of Puerto Rican descent
1965 births
Living people
Talisman (band) members
Journey (band) members
Soul SirkUS members
Takara (band) members
Trans-Siberian Orchestra members
Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force members
Frontiers Records artists