Roy Jurgens on June 29th, 2018

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Steve Soto, legendary figure behind seminal SoCal punk bands the Adolescents and Agent Orange, died in his sleep at his parent’s home in Placentia on Wednesday. He was 54. Cause of death was not available.

An originator of the O.C. punk scene that spawned acts such as Social Distortion, Bad Religion and the Offspring, Soto was an adept and prolific musician who was considered by many to be the heart and soul of the genre. Upon founding the influential Agent Orange as a 15-year-old in 1979, Soto quickly moved on to form the Adolescents, where he remained the only constant member during the band’s lifespan, releasing eight albums along the way. The Adolescents’ 1981 release, the “Blue Album,” was one of the first hardcore albums to gain nationwide distribution and plaudits. 

In addition to helming the Adolescents throughout their tumultuous career, Soto spent decades performing bass, guitar and vocal duties for a number of additional local acts including Legal Weapon, 22 Jacks, Black Diamond Riders, Flock of Goo Goo, Punk Rock Karaoke, and Steve Soto and the Twisted Hearts. His work with Manic Hispanic was important in terms of bringing notice to the Latin influences within the punk-rock arena. He was also a keeper of the flame, having booked Anaheim’s infamous Linda’s Doll Hut throughout the ’90s. 

Having just wrapped up an East Coast jaunt with Adolescents, Soto had returned home before departing for a planned European tour later this summer, which was to be followed by a new release, “Crop Duster.” Soto had recently turned to sobriety and a healthier lifestyle after struggling with weight and health issues throughout most of his life. Acknowledgment and condolences were swift across Twitter, with artists such as Billy Joe Armstrong, The Vandals, The Offspring, CJ Ramone and Rancid all paying tribute to someone who was seen as a father figure across the punk-rock sphere.