Ex-BURNING ROME guitarist Steve Dougherty's AOR act EYES was previously known as L.A. ROCKS prior to the recording of a 1989 demo tape. Previous members included HOUSE OF LORDS vocalist JAMES CHRISTIAN and LOVE/HATE and JOSHUA singer Jizzy Pearl (then using the name Jim Wilkinson). Dougherty himself and previously put down guitar on BERLIN's smash 1986 album 'Count Three & Pray'.

L.A. ROCKS became EYES in 1988, just prior to Christian joining HOUSE OF LORDS, leaving the door open for ex-PANTHER, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN and KUNI vocalist JEFF SCOTT SOTO (a former L.A. ROCKS front man) to make a return. With Christian in the ranks, EYES recorded an impressive demo tape that also found ex-RATT and ROUGH CUTT bassist Matt Thorr involved. Keyboards, at that point, were courtesy of former BERLIN man Todd Jasmin.

Fronted by Soto, EYES signed to Curb Records, a label normally associated with Country music after originally recording an album's worth of material for Capitol. The band's debut album was released through in 1990 and was the first to feature an album recording of the L.A. ROCKS classic 'Nobody Said It Was Easy', a number that must have been recorded by every singer who has ever rehearsed with Aldy Damien. All but two of the tracks on the first album featured YNGWIE MALMSTEEN man Marcel Jacob on bass.

The group toured with NAZARETH, SLAUGHTER, KANSAS, GREAT WHITE, BAD COMPANY and CHEAP TRICK as well as headlining club dates. A proposed co-headlining tour with SAIGON KICK and county fair shows with REO SPEEDWAGON and KANSAS never got past the starting gate after Curb refused financial support.

Soto would quit the group after the 'Windows Of The Soul' album, featuring the recordings done for Capitol back in 1989, was eventually released. EYES hooked up with Mark Weitz (having once auditioned him in the L.A. ROCKS days), but the singer failed to last the distance and the two parties parted company in 1993.

Whilst searching for a replacement vocalist, EYES auditioned the likes of Kelly Hansen of HURRICANE and Robert Mason from LYNCH MOB, even talking to ex-BUSTER BROWN, KING KOBRA and FOREIGNER singer Johnny Edwards. Eventually the search led them to Boston and erstwhile SHOUT and WILD HORSES vocalist John Levesque. He had been working on an abortive project with ex-WHITE LION guitarist Vito Bratta around that period.

The Swedish Empire label released a collection of demos entitled 'Full Moon (The Lost Studio Sessions). The material had been recorded whilst Mark Weitz was fronting EYES. Incidentally, original keyboard player Michael Dorian played keyboards on LILLIAN AXE's first two albums.

Post EYES jeff Scott Soto journeyed on through terms of duty with TAKARA, the Swedish based TALISMAN, German guitar hero AXEL RUDI PELL, prolific solo works and SOUL SIRKUS. Under pseudonyms the singer has also fronted both SKRÄPP METTLE and KRYST THE CONQUEROR.

Soto stepped up into the big league during mid 2006 as he assumed lead singer duties for JOURNEY on July 7th in Bristow, Virginia, replacing Steve Augeri who was forced to bow out due to a "Chronic throat infection".