Died On This Date (June 27, 2018) Steve Soto / Bassist For The Adolescents & Agent Orange
themusicsover Steve Soto
August 23, 1963 – June 27, 2018
Steve Soto, best known as the co-founder of influential Southern California punk bands, Agent Orange and the Adolescents, has passed away. The 54-year-old musician died in his sleep on June 27, 2018 – reportedly of natural causes. A multi-instrumentalist, Soto played bass in both bands – first in Agent Orange, which formed in 1979, then in the Adolescents, which he helped form the following year. Along with Social Distortion and the Vandals, Soto and his groups would emerge as the most influential punk bands, hardcore or otherwise, to come out of Orange County during the early ’80s. Members of the Offspring, Green Day and Rancid have since noted Soto’s direct influence on them. Signed to the legendary independent label, Frontier Records in 1981, the Adolescents released eight studio albums and several EPs, live albums and singles throughout their career. Over the band’s 38 on-and-off years of existence, Soto was the only constant through the break-ups and reunions.
What You Should Own
Jerry Finn was a well-respected producer who lent his talents to a who’s who of alternative rock, artists like Blink-182, Green Day, Sum 41, AFI, Rancid, the Offspring, Morrissey, Alkaline Trio and many others. While working on a Morrissey release in July of 2008, Finn suffered a massive brain hemmorage. Never regaining consciousness, he was taken off life support on August 9 and passed away twelve days later. He was just 39.