Jeff Scott Soto

Jeff Scott Soto is a rock and hard rock singer from Brooklyn, United States, born in 1965. He builds a long career across heavy metal, melodic rock, AOR, funk and pop, working as a solo artist and as a member of numerous bands and projects.

Early career

He moves from Brooklyn to the San Fernando Valley in California at the age of eight. After high school in 1983, he and his older brother Joey form several metal bands. In late 1984, he answers an audition call from former Alcatrazz guitarist Yngwie J. Malmsteen and makes his major label debut on Yngwie J. Malmsteen’s Rising Force on Polydor. He returns in 1985 for Marching Out, and the band tours Japan, with a Tokyo concert later issued as Chasing Yngwie: Live in Tokyo, ’85.

Band work and collaborations

After leaving Malmsteen’s group, Soto records demos with former Kiss guitarist Vinnie Vincent and appears with Japanese guitarist Kuni Takeuchi on Lookin’ for Action in 1988. He also records vocals, under an alias, for Kryst the Conqueror, a project involving members of The Misfits.

From 1990, he works with bassist Marcel Jacob in Talisman, a European metal band, and also performs with the California hard-rock group Eyes. Through the 1990s he splits his time among Axel Rudi Pell, Talisman, Eyes and Takara. With Pell he records Eternal Prisoner, Between the Walls, Black Moon Pyramid and Magic, making four studio albums with the guitarist. With Talisman he appears on Genesis, Life, Truth and the live set Five Out of Five Live, as well as compilations Besterious and Best of Talisman. He also sings on the Eyes release Windows of the Soul and on Takara albums including Eternal Faith, Taste of Heaven and Blind in Paradise.

Other 1990s work includes Human Clay, first with the album Human Clay and then U4IA, plus the soundtrack Biker Mice from Mars. He also contributes to Gary Schutt’s Sentimetal, sings “Grease” and “YMCA” on The Boogie Knights’ Welcome to the Jungle Boogie, and records demos with Zakk Wylde. He appears on tributes to Van Halen and Ozzy, and records lead vocals for the film Rock Star.

Solo work

Soto’s first solo album is Love Parade in 1995, a funk-influenced record that draws on Prince and Queen. He later releases Prism, Lost in the Translation, A Beautiful Mess, Damage Control, Retribution, Wide Awake (In My Dreamland), The Duets Collection, Vol. 1 and Complicated, as well as the EPs Holding On and Believe in Me, the live album JSS Live at the Gods, and the compilation Essential Ballads.

Queen-related appearances and live work

He performs with Brian May at a Queen convention in the UK and later appears with the SAS Band, the group led by Queen sideman Spike Edney. He also shares the stage with Brian May and Roger Taylor at an event marking Queen’s induction to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2002 he headlines the Gods festival in the UK, and the performance is later released on CD and DVD. He returns to the UK Queen Convention in 2003, with the show also issued on CD and DVD.

Later projects

In 2002, Soto, Marcel Jacob and guitarist Pontus Norgren record under the name Humanimal, releasing a self-titled album. In 2004 a meeting with Neal Schon at NAMM leads to Soul SirkUS, which releases World Play and tours the United States and Europe. He later joins W.E.T. with members of Work of Art and Eclipse; the group releases W.E.T., Rise Up and Earthrage. He is also part of Sons of Apollo with Derek Sherinian, Billy Sheehan, Mike Portnoy and Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, releasing Psychotic Symphony, a live album and MMXX. In 2020 he takes part in Hovak Alaverdyan’s Octavision project, singing on “Coexist” and “Apocalyptus” on the album Coexist.

Journey

In 2006 he steps in as Journey’s lead singer during the band’s North American tour with Def Leppard, after the original vocalist leaves suddenly. He is officially announced as Journey’s singer later that year, but leaves the group in 2007.

Additional projects and aliases

Soto also works with Human Clay, Redlist, Panther, Takara, Art of Anarchy, Ellefson-Soto, Steel Dragon, Soto/Bieler, Eric Martin & Jeff Scott Soto and Masters of Voices, and he records under the name JSS. His career is marked by frequent movement between studio work, live performance and collaborations across hard rock, heavy metal and melodic rock.