Conventions
Jeff Scott Soto
Singer with Journey 2006 - 2007
Born November 4, 1965, in Brooklyn, New York, Jeff Scott Soto relocated to the San Fernando Valley in California at a young age. His interest in artists like Queen, Prince and music of Motown led Jeff to pursue a career in music. By the time he reached his mid-30's, he had already spent twenty years splitting his time between recording studios and concert stages around the world. Whether performing before an arena full of thousands of fans, or among peers at an intimate industry event, Soto has earned the respect of everyone within earshot of his voice.
Jeff's first taste of international acclaim came as the vocalist of Swedish guitar sensation Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force. Later, Jeff spearheaded a variety of projects by bands such as Eyes and Talisman, with whom he recorded some of his most dynamic work. In 2001 he received critical acclaim for his vocal work in the Mark Wahlberg / Jennifer Aniston film 'Rock Star'. An impromptu performance with Journey's Neal Schon at the 2004 NAMM show in Los Angeles showed that Soto and Schon had synergy, and led to the formation of Soul SirkUS.
In July of 2006, Journey asked Jeff to step into the spotlight as temporary vocalist for the band. Subsequently, in December, following a massively successful North American tour, Journey announced Jeff Scott Soto as the band's new permanent singer.
But on June 12, 2007 -- Journey parted ways with Jeff. Jeff’s first appearance with Journey was July 7, 2006 in Bristow, VA. Jeff’s last performance was May 12, 2007 in Leesburg, VA. According to guitarist Neal Schon, “We appreciate all of Jeff’s hard work and we can’t thank him enough for stepping in when Steve Augeri got sick last year. He did a tremendous job for us and we wish him the best. We’ve just decided to go our separate ways, no pun intended. We’re plotting our next move now."
Keyboardist Jonathan Cain continues, “We were lucky to have a friend who was already a Journey fan step in on a moment’s notice during the Def Leppard tour to help us out. Jeff was always the consummate professional and we hope that he remains a friend of the band in the future. We just felt it was time to go in a different direction.”
Here are some of Marty's photographs.................
Photographs by Marty Moffatt