Jeff Scott Soto recently addressed Yngwie Malmsteen’s public warning to former singers about using his name. He clarified his position in a statement shared on Artists on Record with Stefan Adika.
Soto’s response came after being asked about Malmsteen’s recent online comments regarding singers using his name for promotional purposes.
“My phone was blowing up for two days,” Soto said. “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 tribute to Yngwie or tribute to the time that they spent with Yngwie.”
Soto explained that these singers were promoting tribute shows. This prompted Malmsteen’s public statement.
“And I guess that they were promoting that and he caught wind of it and that’s where that came from,” he continued. “Nothing to do with me. I’m not doing anything where I’m going out doing based shows or trying to capitalize on his name or his legacy. Not at all.”
The former Malmsteen vocalist clarified his own approach to referencing his past work.
“All I do is I post things online to celebrate my involvement,” Soto said. “Celebrate the things I did with them because it’s I have a legacy too in my own world, however you want to call it. That’s it’s part of my history, too. So, I celebrate that. I’m not trying to, you know, tow the line. I’m not trying to do anything and trying to get anything from him in those terms.”
This response followed Malmsteen’s statement on X. In that statement, he criticized former singers for capitalizing on his brand and emphasized that performing on his solo records does not equal ownership or legacy rights.
The controversy highlights ongoing tensions between Malmsteen and his former collaborators over creative ownership and legacy rights.
Recent coverage of the dispute revealed that Malmsteen has long publicly asserted that his solo records are his singular creation. He maintains that hired vocalists do not have rights to claim the legacy of those works. The Swedish guitarist’s position reflects deeper disputes over songwriting credits and creative contributions in his past projects.
The situation has brought renewed attention to Malmsteen’s history with renowned vocalists. This includes his collaborations with Jeff Scott Soto, Joe Lynn Turner, and other prominent singers throughout his career. These partnerships have produced some of Malmsteen’s most commercially successful albums. However, questions about creative ownership continue to surface decades later.
Recent coverage of the controversy discusses claims by former collaborators. Some vocalists have asserted they wrote significant portions of albums, highlighting the ongoing nature of these creative disputes. The disagreements underscore the complex dynamics between lead artists and hired musicians in the music industry.
Meanwhile, Soto continues to work actively with other projects. This includes recent and upcoming live performances with Saigon Kick and other collaborations outside the Malmsteen context. His current activities demonstrate his ongoing career independence from his past work with the Swedish guitarist.
