Steve Soto, Adolescents founder, dead at 54

Musician Steve Soto died at age 54. (YouTube)

Steve Soto, founder of punk rock stalwarts the Adolescents who played in a series of bands during nearly 40 years in the Southern California music scene, has died. He was 54.

Adolescents' singer Tony Reflex shared the news on the band's Twitter page. The coroner's office says Soto died Tuesday at home in Orange County of natural causes.

A multi-instrumentalist, Soto played bass in Agent Orange, which he co-founded in 1979. The band was one of the first to combine punk rock and surf music.

He left a year later to start the Adolescents, which went on to release eight albums, including 2018's "Cropduster," and recently completed a U.S. tour.

Soto was also a member of Manic Hispanic and Joyride.

Fellow California rockers Offspring tweeted that Soto was "an inspiration."