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Good timing kick-starts careerTyler Hilton records an album, then lands role on 'One Tree Hill'
By Sarah Mauet
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
In his first professional acting role, singer/songwriter Tyler Hilton was cast in the role of a lifetime - he plays his first musical idol, Elvis Presley.
"It was really nerve-wracking," Hilton said in a phone interview from a tour stop in Memphis. "At first I was thinking maybe I shouldn't do the thing because it's too much pressure and what if I screw it up. But then I thought if they offer me the part and I said 'no' and saw someone else do it, I'd be like, 'What! Why didn't you take that?' "
The husky-voiced folk pop singer plays a young Presley in "Walk the Line," a biopic of country-music legend Johnny Cash. The film, which is due out later this year, stars Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon.
While Hilton did little research to play Presley, he did dedicate time to learning the King's famous hip-popping moves - moves that Hilton does not plan to incorporate into his Tucson show Wednesday. "No, I couldn't pull that off," he laughed.
Hilton began playing guitar at a young age and became a staple of the Palm Springs open mic circuit. His first break came when he called a radio station, hoping to win tickets to a Jonny Lang concert.
"Honestly, in my heart of hearts, it was not a promotion thing for me," he said. "I was really embarrassed to call because I was 15 and that's such an awkward age. But my dad was like, 'You should call because you might get tickets.' So I played them a Jonny Lang song, and they really dug it."
He won the tickets, and the station asked him to call the next day to talk about the concert and to play some original songs. Fans started going to his gigs, and eventually Maverick Records caught on. Between recording and releasing 2004's "The Tracks Of," Hilton was cast as Elvis and filmed his part in "Walk the Line."
Just as the first single was picking up, Hilton jumped- started his career by appearing on the WB's "One Tree Hill" as Chris Keller, a cocky musician who helps Haley (Bethany Joy Lenz) discover her musical dreams while trying to break up her marriage.
As high-profile as his acting may be, Hilton says there's nothing better than performing music.
"I love music, and that's what I've been doing forever," he said. "The acting thing is just a great diversion and a nice little hobby to do on the side and a nice distraction from music. I think distractions from music seem to be good for my songwriting."
The 21-year-old troubadour is looking for inspiration as he begins writing songs for his next album, which he hopes to work on later this year. The writing process is still a bit of a mystery, he said.
"I try to hold a guitar as much as possible because when I fiddle around, something usually comes," he said. "But once the music comes, I've got to have something to say. That's just about being in the mood to say something, and how do you get in that mood? It's really a weird thing, and I've never been able to figure it out."
What Hilton does know is that the new songs he has been writing incorporate the folky Americana aspects of his independent album with the pop music of his major-label release. Whether or not there's already interest in what he spontaneously labeled "TylerPop," Hilton hopes to create a demand for it.
"I think there's going to have to be (a demand) because I'm putting out a record that way," he said. "It's got to happen, or it's going to be like, 'Where's Tyler now?' I'm going to have to make a niche for myself in music, my own little niche. I'm just mentally drained from trying to find a place for myself, so I'm just going to make a place for myself and just kind of nestle comfortably there the rest of my life."
