JEFF SCOTT SOTO Says YNGWIE MALMSTEEN Wasn't Talking About Him In His Recent Online Outburst: 'Nothing To Do With Me'

Jeff Scott Soto says that he wants to be friends with Yngwie Malmsteen again, nearly four decades after he left the legendary Swedish guitarist's band.

Soto, who sang on Yngwie's first two albums, 1984's "Rising Force" and 1985's "Marching Out", discussed his relationship with Malmsteen during a recent interview with Artists On Record With Stefan Adika. Asked by a viewer if Yngwie comes to his shows and if he goes to Malmsteen's concerts when the guitarist comes through Soto's town, Jeff responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, you gotta pay a little more attention to Blabbermouth and all that stuff going on out there, because if you did, you'd know that there's absolutely no relationship between Yngwie and I right now. I'm trying to change that. Even on your show, I've been trying to extend that olive branch and trying to fix and change it. And the thing is, everybody thinks I want something out of Malmsteen, that, 'Oh, you're just doing this 'cause you're trying to get back with him. You wanna work with him.' No. I just want peace. I want love and harmony between me and everybody else I've ever worked with in my career. And that's why I keep extending, overextending that olive branch, because I'm 60 years old. Who knows how much longer I've got on this planet? I wanna walk away with no enemies, clean slate. Everybody in my life, I just wanna have good relationships with them. And Malmsteen [and me], we have no speaking relationship. We don't talk. I don't go to his shows. He doesn't come to mine. But hopefully one day we can change that."

Asked about Yngwie's recent online post in which the guitarist blasted some of the singers he worked with early in his solo career for allegedly "trying to capitalize from [his] brand", Jeff said: "My phone was blowing up for two days [after Yngwie posted that]. Everybody thought he was talking about me again. And he wasn't. He was talking about two other former singers that are going out and doing shows based on a tribute to Yngwie or a tribute to the time that they spent with Yngwie. And I guess that they were promoting that and he caught wind of it, and that's where that came from. Nothing to do with me."

Soto continued: "I'm not doing anything where I'm going out doing Yngwie shows or trying to capitalize on his name or his legacy. Not at all. All I do is I post things online to celebrate — celebrate my involvement, celebrate the things I did with him, because I have a legacy too, in my own world or however you want to call it. It's part of my history too, so I celebrate that. I'm not trying to toe the line, I'm not trying to do anything and try to get anything from him in those terms."

Referring specifically to the part of Yngwie's post where Malmsteen questioned what these singers have "recorded" and "created [in] the last 30, 40 years", Soto said: "You definitely can't put that on me, because if you look at the past 30, 40 years, I'm on easily over a hundred records. Just my solo records alone, I've got eight solo records. Then you do the W.E.T., you've got TALISMAN. So I've been busy. You can't ask, what have I done? I've done a lot.

"Everybody thought he was referring to me," Jeff continued. "They're sending virtual hugs: 'Dude, we got you, man. We understand what you're going through. We read this stuff, and it's not fair.' I say, 'Hey, he wasn't talking about me. It's cool.'"

Asked if he has ever tried reaching out to Yngwie directly, Jeff said: "I wouldn't know how. I don't have any numbers, any contacts or anything, so I wouldn't know how to reach out to him. But there's enough I put out there when I do interviews or do anything, even Cameos. I put it out there all the time that I would love to just bury the hatchet, whatever that hatchet is, and just walk away as friends again one day. I'd love to go to shows and be in the audience watching the show and not saying, 'Oh, man, hopefully one day he'll have me back.' It's not about that at all. I did my time with him. If someday, one day he wanted to do something like that, I'd absolutely be open to it. But I'm not looking for that. I don't need that in my life in terms of that's the only thing I have going for me. I got a lot going for me. I just wanna be the guy's friend again."

After host Stefan Adika pressed Jeff to record a personal message for Yngwie, Soto said: "Hey, listen, Yngwie. We've got a lot of history, man. We go back over 41 years. We made some great music together. I got to sing on your two classic records that everybody loves, and somewhere along the way we've stumbled on some blocks, on some roadblocks, on some walls. Let's put 'em aside. Let's break bread again. Let's be buddies. I don't need anything from you. You don't need anything from me, but I just wanna be your friend again. There's my olive branch extended once again. I love you, I respect you, and I cherish and treasure everything I ever did with and for you. So if we can fix this someday, I'm all in."

Jeff later added about the guitarist: "I know his wife. I never met his son, and that would be a nice thing. I'd love to meet the next generation of the Malmsteens, his son. He's got a kid. I know his wife. Everything was cool. We had a great relationship. There were times where I was possibly coming back and singing with him back in the day. These things didn't pan out — whatever. I don't want or need that. I would like to just say, 'Hey, let's be buddies again.'"

On December 18, Yngwie, who has worked with a number of other acclaimed vocalists over the years, including Mark Boals, Joe Lynn Turner, Göran Edman, Michael Vescera, Mats Levén and Tim "Ripper" Owens, with Nick Marino most recently handling some of the vocal duties live, took to his social media earlier to write: "So it has come to my attention that these hired and paid singers that I hired for my solo records are all trying to capitalize from my brand!

"Let's be clear: performing on MY SOLO records does not equal ownership, authorship, or legacy. Writing a line here and there doesn't make someone a songwriter, and singing my material doesn't make it theirs. They were merely given a salary (work for hire) to put down MY written parts, just like the keyboard player, bassist, drummer etc.

"If the only way you can tour or get attention is by leaning on my brand and using my name and album titles and my SOLO catalog, then you've already answered the question of who actually built something. And -What have they recorded/created the last 30,40 years?"

It's unclear what prompted Malmsteen's latest outburst, but it could have something to do with the fact that Levén recently announced that he will play two shows in Japan in May 2026 that will apparently focus heavily on the material from the sole Yngwie album he appeared on, 1997's "Facing The Animal".

Separately, Boals and Vescera have announced a European tour for September 2026 dubbed "The Seventh Trilogy Tour". An admat for the tour shared on social media bills the singers as "The Voices Of Yngwie Malmsteen."

Boals appeared on four Yngwie studio albums, including the hard rock classic "Trilogy".

Vescera recorded two full-length studio records with Malmsteen as well as an EP, various videos and the "Live At Budokan" DVD in the 1990s

After working with some of the top hard singers of the past four decades, Yngwie now handles much of the lead vocals himself in his own band, backed by a lineup that includes keyboardist Nick Marino, bassist Emilio Martinez and drummer Kevin Klingenschmid.

Only four of the songs on Yngwie's latest album, 2021's "Parabellum" featured vocals. The album title is Latin, translating as "Prepare For War".

In a March 2023 interview with the YouTube channel of Brazilian music journalist Igor Miranda, Jeff reflected on his claim that Yngwie threatened to cancel his concert in May 2022 in Agoura Hills, California after finding out his former bandmate was in attendance. Jeff said: "I thought it was kind of funny. I mean, when I posted about it [on social media] that night, I was doing it because it was so unbelievable, I was laughing. I was, like, 'I have to share this because it's so silly.' But then to be called a liar about it, it made it even more funny to me, because why would I lie about something about that? Why would I even care to go to any extreme to go see somebody who doesn't wanna see me or doesn't want me around them? Of course I was there to see my friends' band playing. They invited me. It's a place that I go to all the time. I didn't feel there was any harm gonna be done if I just kind of stayed in the corner. And, of course, when the word was out that I was there, I was told if I'm gonna remain in the building, the show would be canceled. It's a thousand, one billion percent truth behind that. Two guys came up to me that work there, that I know that work there, they said, 'I don't know what this is about, Jeff, but I'm sorry to tell you that we've been informed if you don't leave, the show's gonna be canceled.' And I was gonna leave anyways. I was there to watch my friends' band. When they were finished, I was paying my bill to the bartender, who's also a very good friend of mine, and everybody watched that happening, and we were just, like, 'Can you believe this?'"

Jeff continued: "I wasn't there for the Yngwie show. I wasn't planning to stay. I didn't sneak in — none of that. Of course, it was so silly to me, it was so hilarious to me. But it's unfortunate that it has to be that, because I'm not looking to keep talking about this or to keep elevating it or to keep getting news from it. I want peace from everybody in my life. Anybody that has any issues with me, I would love to just give them a hug and move on with life and leave this world, leave this planet with no enemies. But, unfortunately, that's not the case on that side."

When Soto first posted about the Agoura Hills concert in May 2022, he wrote: "Hey my peeps, here's a fun little diddy for ya! I went to the Canyon Club tonight, my local watering hole for the past 21 years, it's like my Cheers where everybody knows my name...I actually went to see one of the support bands who were killer btw, I hesitated on going because my former ahem 'boss' was headlining but I was not planning to stay anyway...well, word got to him I was in the house and I was kindly told as long as I am present, the show would be cancelled... Now I've seen it all!

"I left as planned but it's kind of funny, I just had to share the ludicrousness (not a real word but seems to fit the detail) that continues in 2022, I laughed all the way home!' Jeff added. "I'm sure this will be shared like crazy but I couldn't help but sharing it with you all, good times!"

The following day, Malmsteen disputed Soto's account of what happened in Agoura Hills, writing on his Facebook page: " Hmmmm…. I think some people are making up stories to be in the media again. Kids, don't believe made up BS from people who are trying to stay relevant! He's not important for me to cancel my show to my fans. On the other hand I was told by my agent that he snuck in there without paying so the security threw him out. Certain people make up stories… turn up at my show, get kicked out by security because they snuck in the venue WITHOUT PAYING, then turn around make up a story to try and grab media attention… some people are sick. STOP stalking me and get help ".

When one fan questioned Yngwie about his claim that Jeff has to struggle to appear relevant on the scene today and challenged Malmsteen to "compare audience response to said projects and releases to what [Yngwie has] accomplished during the same period," Malmsteen responded: "Hmmm Let me think In the last 15/ 20 years … I have been on the American billboard chart every single time I have released a record including my last one! being playing theaters, promoters are happy. On top of that I have made mega deals including signature models with Major companies such as Marshall, Fender, ovation, Dunlop, Seymour Duncan, Lewitt microphones and the list goes on. On top of that I have won awards for the most magazine covers ever in the history of certain guitar magazines. Would you like me to carry-on?!? None of this matters to me, however what does matter is an intent to smear an attack me and my reputation for the last 40 years. Everything this man says is a lie with the intent to do damage. I have not once spoken about him and nor have any interest to simply because he’s not important to me. And yet he can’t stop talking about me on a regular basis! Making up stories because he has not had any relevant success on his own he tailgates on other people. He needs to just MoveOn and stop stalking me. Oohh I almost forgot I have over HALF A MILLION listeners on Spotify every month alone! His let me look it up… oh no ONLY 40k! Yep he needs to keep slandering me a bit more."

Soto later returned to social media to respond to Yngwie with the following missive: "I will put this to rest after clarifying a few things.

"God forbid ANYONE thinks I am trying to drum up press, especially by berating someone in the process.

"I post my past on social media to celebrate and share the pride I have for my musical endeavors the past 4 decades. I don't and don't need to ride anyone's coattails, stalk or trying to drum up press for myself, I have my music and the current things I partake in to do this. Everything else I share is a celebration, nothing more, nothing less.

"I went out to a venue I frequent for the past 21 years, I have played this venue more times than I can remember or count and know all that have been and still there since I walked through those doors the 1st time in 2001. I have not 'snuck in' to a show since 1988 when I heard of an intimate jam Prince was throwing at an undisclosed location which I found out about and finally made it in 15 min before he was done playing. That said, if I have to sneak in to a venue or not pay to get into one for ANYONE, I simply would not even be near the building, I am 56, not 16!

"Lastly, I went to this venue to see someone play who is very near and dear to me. When I found out who the headliner was, I decided it best not to go as I didn't wanna ruffle any feathers in any way. Then I decided I will go but leave before said headliner begins as I had no interest in seeing that part of the evening anyway.

"If anyone has been paying attention to interviews, award speeches and even my own social media where I have stated numerous times all I want in my life is peace, no enemies, no animosity ESPECIALLY with ANYONE in my past, they will know my intent is ONLY about leaving this planet with no water under the bridge. I extend olive branches, continue to celebrate my past with a positive spin and make sure everyone knows I wanna hug it out with anyone who has or has had any issue with me. If this is 'sick' then institutionalize me immediately!"

Eight years ago, Soto engaged in a war of words with Yngwie over the fact that Malmsteen claimed in an interview that he "always wrote everything," including the lyrics and melodies, and simply hired various vocalists to sing his material.

Back in 2017, Soto told the "US American Made Guitars" show that "it's false information" to suggest that he contributed nothing to Yngwie's early albums "because we co-wrote [some of] those songs together. I actually authored those songs," he said. "For him to say, 'I wrote every lyric, every melody,' it's absolute falsity. And he's speaking out of whatever anger or whatever throwaway conversation he might be having, but when it's put on text, it comes across as very crude and very arrogant. So, of course, I don't take that kind of stuff too personally."

The singer went on to say that faulty memory may be at least partly to blame for Yngwie's comments. "Yngwie's written so much of his own stuff, he's written so much on his own when it comes to lyrics and melodies through the years," he said. "Maybe the past eight albums… I don't even know how many albums he's put out, but for that many albums he's put out, clearly his memory is fogged on the albums that he wasn't doing all of that."

He continued: "Joe Lynn [Turner] was a very strong collaborator on the album ['Odyssey'] with he did with Yngwie, as was I, as were some of the other singers that were involved with him. Maybe later on that changed and the other guys were basically just used to sing his words. And I was as well on some songs. I mean, 'I Am A Viking', I didn't write one word or one melody on it. But the stuff that we did together, that's stuff that we did together. And there's some stuff I did on my own that's on there — he didn't add or remove one single thing from it. So, again, it's selective memory. It could be he doesn't wanna talk about me, he's got a bad taste in his mouth about me, so he's gonna do everything in his power to make sure that everybody knows how downplayed my role was in his life and his career."

As for why he thinks Malmsteen has been making disparaging comments about him and other former singers in the press, Soto told "US American Made Guitars": "If anybody knows anything about Yngwie's… the business end of things, his wife is managing him. And through the years, she's gotten more control over the people in his life, the people that were in his life, and it's really sad to see that a lot us have been kind of locked out. Slowly but surely, everybody that was in his past, including his band, including myself who actually retained a great friendship and relationship with him, were just dialed out. And we were just kind of pushed to the wayside for whatever reason, whatever paranoias there are. I really don't understand it. I actually had a great relationship with both of them, and I just saw more and more that they were just pushing everybody away. They wanted their inner circle to be so small, and I never did anything to interrupt that circle. But there were others around that I'm very close to, and was very close to, one of them being Marcel Jacob, who was the bass player that was in [Yngwie's] band when I was in the band. We had a band together called TALISMAN for about nineteen years until [Marcel] took his own life back in 2009. But he and Yngwie had a bit of a conflict and they dangled that over my head for a couple of years until Marcel actually passed away in 2009. When that happened, I assumed, like everyone else that knew Marcel, the guys in the band EUROPE, so many people, whether they were big or small, acknowledged Marcel's passing. Everyone expected Yngwie to do the same, and when he didn't, it rubbed everyone the wrong way, including myself. We tried to at least just get a statement or an acknowledgement of it, and when he was not only not doing that but actually hanging up on people, blocking them or changing his number so nobody can reach him anymore about it, to me… I made a statement, and that probably got back to their camp, that said, 'To me, Yngwie is dead.' I don't wanna know or hear from him."

Soto added: "Marcel was one of my best friends, and if you can't put water under the bridge when somebody has passed, to me, that's just the weakest, juvenile way of dealing with life. And it must have gotten back to his camp, 'cause all of a sudden I was cut out."

In the days after Yngwie's original interview with Metal Wani was published on BLABBERMOUTH.NET, several of the guitarist's other former singers — including Joe Lynn Turner and Tim "Ripper" Owens — responded on social media, with Turner describing Malmsteen's statements as "the rantings of a megalomaniac desperately trying to justify his own insecurity." This was followed by a retort from a member of Yngwie's management team, who wrote on Malmsteen's Facebook page that the three vocalists "came out enraged, spitting insults and profanities" at the guitarist because "Yngwie said something that they didn't like." The management representative added: " It's very unfortunate that these past hired vocalists must resort to mudslinging and insults to elicit any kind of media attention towards them. Such classless, puerile words are ungentlemanly at best and absolutely disgraceful at worst."