Steven Tyler Julia Holcomb who is julia? 16-year-old groupie Julia Holcomb
what was her relationship to tyler?
What was Julia Holcomb's relationship to Steven Tyler?
In 1975, Tyler persuaded the parents of 16-year-old groupie Julia Holcomb (sometimes spelled Holcolm) to sign over guardianship to him so that he could live with her in Boston. They dated and took drugs together for three years. Holcomb was referred to as "Diana Hall" by the editor of the Aerosmith autobiography Walk This Way in an attempt to conceal her identity, but other sources have confirmed her identity. Pressures leading to their split included their age difference (Tyler was 27 when they first met), a withdrawn proposal, a house fire, and a planned pregnancy that resulted in an abortion when Tyler was worried that the fire's smoke and drugs might lead to birth defects. Band member Ray Tabano wrote in Walk This Way that the abortion "really messed Steven up" because the child was a boy. Tyler wrote, "It was a big crisis. It's a major thing when you're growing something with a woman, but they convinced us that it would never work out and would ruin our lives. You go to the doctor and they put the needle in her belly and they squeeze the stuff in and you watch. And it comes out dead. I was pretty devastated. In my mind, I'm going, Jesus, what have I done?" However, Julia Holcomb has said that Tyler was snorting cocaine while watching the abortion and offered some to her. Julia Holcomb revealed her regret for having the abortion, joined the Silent No More organization of women who have regretted their abortions, and converted to Catholicism. CANNOTANSWER
groupie
Steven Victor Tallarico (born March 26, 1948), known professionally as Steven Tyler, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actor, and former television personality. He is best known as the lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, piano, and percussion. He is known as the "Demon of Screamin'" due to his high screams and his wide vocal range. He is also known for his on-stage acrobatics. During his performances, Tyler usually dresses in colorful outfits with his trademark scarves hanging from his microphone stand.

In the 1970s, Tyler rose to prominence as the lead singer of Aerosmith, which released such hard rock albums as Toys in the Attic and Rocks, along with a string of hit singles, including "Dream On", "Sweet Emotion" and "Walk This Way". By the late 1970s and early 1980s, Tyler had a heavy drug and alcohol addiction and the band's popularity waned. In 1986, Tyler completed drug rehabilitation and Aerosmith rose to prominence again when Tyler and Joe Perry joined Run-DMC for a re-make of "Walk This Way," which became a Top 5 hit. Aerosmith subsequently launched a comeback with the multi-platinum albums Permanent Vacation, Pump, Get a Grip and Nine Lives, which produced a combined thirteen Top 40 singles and won the band numerous awards. During this time, the band embarked on their longest concert tours, promoted their singles with conceptual music videos, and made appearances in television, film and video games.

Since the late 1980s, Tyler has embarked on several solo endeavors, including guest appearances with musicians such as Alice Cooper, Mötley Crüe, Santana, Pink and Keith Anderson, film and TV work, authoring a book, and solo music, including the Top 40 single "(It) Feels So Good" in 2011. Tension with his Aerosmith bandmates boiled in 2009 and 2010 after he fell off the stage at a concert, had a relapse with prescription drugs, receiving treatment in 2009, and signed on to American Idol without telling his bandmates. But Tyler has continued to record music and perform with Aerosmith, after more than 48 years in the band. In 2016, Tyler released his debut solo album, We're All Somebody from Somewhere, a country rock album that included the single "Love Is Your Name". Tyler supported the album with the "Out on a Limb" Tour. Tyler continues to perform both solo, with backing from the Loving Mary Band, and with Aerosmith.

Tyler is included among Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Singers. He was ranked third on Hit Parader's Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time. In 2001, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Aerosmith and in 2013, Tyler and his songwriting partner Joe Perry received the ASCAP Founders Award and were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Early life 
Steven Victor Tallarico was born on March 26, 1948, at the Stuyvesant Polyclinic in Manhattan, New York, and moved to the Bronx when he was three years old. The family relocated to 100 Pembrook Drive in Northeast Yonkers in 1957 when he was about nine years old. Tallarico is the son of Susan Ray (; June 2, 1925July 4, 2008), a secretary, and Victor A. Tallarico (May 14, 1916September 10, 2011), a classical musician and pianist who taught music at Cardinal Spellman High School in The Bronx.

Tyler's father was of Italian and German descent, while his mother was of Ukrainian, English and African-American ancestry. He has noted on a number of occasions that his maternal grandfather was Ukrainian, and changed his surname from "Czarnyszewicz" (from ) to "Blancha" (possibly from ). His paternal grandfather, Giovanni Tallarico, was from Cotronei, Calabria, Italy. Tyler learned on the genealogy show Who Do You Think You Are? that his great-great-great-grandfather was part African-American. Steven has one older sister named Lynda.

Tyler attended Roosevelt High School on Tuckahoe Road in Yonkers, New York which was about a mile from his house, but was expelled from the school just before graduation due to marijuana use. He later graduated from Quintano's school for Young Professionals.

At 17, Tyler spent time in Greenwich Village, New York, the highlight of which was seeing a Rolling Stones concert. Tyler states that he and his friends "hung around for a while, buzzing like crazy just because we got to touch them." He added, "Everybody told me that I looked just like Mick Jagger with my big lips and Keith Richards basically was the music I used to love more than anything." A photo in the band's autobiography Walk This Way shows Tyler standing behind Mick Jagger outside a hotel.

Career

Formation and success of Aerosmith (1970–1978) 

Before Aerosmith, Tyler wrote what would become one of Aerosmith's signature songs, "Dream On". In 1969, Tyler attended a local rock show in Sunapee, New Hampshire, where he first saw future bandmates Joe Perry (guitars) and Tom Hamilton (bass), who at the time were playing in a band called the Jam Band. Tyler later stated he was struck by their raw power and attitude.

Around 1970, Tyler, Perry, and Hamilton decided to form a band. Tyler, who had played drums in many of his previous bands while in school, insisted that he would be the frontman and lead singer. Joey Kramer, an old acquaintance of Tyler's from New York, was recruited to play the drums. Tyler invited his boyhood friend, Ray Tabano, to play rhythm guitar. Driven by a collective ambition to launch their careers as full-time musicians and hopeful recording artists, the band moved to Boston, and shared a small apartment at 1325 Commonwealth Avenue, in Allston in the fall of 1970.

Shortly after relocating to Boston, Tyler's dissatisfaction with Tabano's lack of passion and dedication prompted the band to replace Tabano with Brad Whitford. Although Tyler was never billed as the "leader" of Aerosmith, he co-managed, with drummer Joey Kramer, the assets of the band and directed its activities during this formative period.

After spending time on the Boston club circuit under the tutelage of their first manager, Frank Connelly, the band began working with New York managers Steve Leber and David Krebs. Leber describes the band as "the closest thing I've ever seen to the Rolling Stones". In early 1972, the managers arranged the gig at the legendary nightclub Max's Kansas City to showcase the group to record company executives. They subsequently signed a record deal with Columbia Records in 1972 and released their eponymous debut album in 1973. This was followed by their second album, Get Your Wings in 1974.

Around this time, Aerosmith continued to tour wherever they could and opened for bands like Mott the Hoople. The band had a minor hit in "Dream On", which peaked at number 59 in 1973, but Aerosmith did not break into the mainstream until the back-to-back releases of their next sets of albums, Toys in the Attic (1975) and Rocks (1976). In 1975, they achieved their first top-40 hit in "Sweet Emotion". Soon after, "Dream On" was re-released and hit number six in 1976, followed by another top-10 hit "Walk This Way". Additionally, Rocks produced the hit singles "Last Child", "Back in the Saddle", and "Home Tonight".

By 1976, Aerosmith found themselves headlining huge stadiums and major rock music festivals. That year, Tyler emerged as a prominent rock star and sex symbol in his own right, gracing the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, and their fifth album, Draw the Line, continued the band's success and they were catapulted to international fame and recognition, launching tours in Europe and Japan. A series of Hot 100 hits continued throughout the remainder of the decade, including "Draw the Line", "Kings and Queens", and "Chip Away the Stone". Aerosmith's first five albums have 
all since gone multiplatinum and all five are considered to be among the greatest hard rock albums of all time.

Aerosmith toured heavily throughout the mid- to late 1970s, and their live shows during this time period were captured through 1978's live album Live! Bootleg and the 1989 VHS release Live Texxas Jam '78. Also in 1978, Tyler made his acting debut as the leader of the Future Villain Band in the film Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, alongside his Aerosmith bandmates. The film also spawned Aerosmith's cover of the Beatles hit "Come Together", which was Aerosmith's last top-40 single for nine years.

Decline of Aerosmith (1979–1983) 
As the decade wore on, the fast-paced life of touring, recording, living together, and using drugs began to take its toll on the band. Tyler and Perry often were called the Toxic Twins for their legendary intake of stimulants and heroin. Their relationship is well documented in many of Aerosmith's video releases, as well as in the Aerosmith Behind the Music. On July 28, 1979, after a huge quarrel at a World Series of Rock concert in Cleveland, Perry left Aerosmith to begin his own band, The Joe Perry Project. Night in the Ruts was released that fall, and Aerosmith forged on with new guitarist Jimmy Crespo.

In the fall of 1980, Tyler was injured in a motorcycle crash that left him hospitalized for two months, and unable to tour or record for much of 1981. When the band reconvened in the studio, Tyler formed a writing partnership with Crespo, co-writing and producing the album Rock in a Hard Place (1982). Brad Whitford had left in 1981, shortly after recording the guitar parts for the album's lead single, "Lightning Strikes". Whitford was replaced by Rick Dufay, and the band continued to tour into 1983. As the 1980s decade wore on, Tyler's drug abuse increased. His heroin addiction was at its worst between 1979 and 1982, when he would roam the streets of New York City looking for dealers.

Reuniting and getting clean (1984–1986) 
On February 14, 1984, Perry and Whitford, who left the band in 1979 and 1981, respectively, attended an Aerosmith show. According to the band's Behind the Music special on VH1, Tyler alleged that he made the first phone call to Perry, encouraging them to meet up again. Backstage, they all met and Perry and Whitford agreed to join the band once again. With the new reunion, the band also fired their managers Leber and Krebs, hired new manager Tim Collins (who was managing Joe Perry), and signed a new record contract with Geffen Records. Aerosmith embarked on a reunion tour, the Back in the Saddle Tour, and recorded once again, releasing Done with Mirrors in 1985. However, the band was still using drugs, especially Tyler, who collapsed while performing in Springfield, Illinois, on the 1984 tour. In 1986, the band held a meeting in which the band members staged an intervention on Tyler, and persuaded him to enter a drug rehabilitation program. After he completed rehabilitation, his bandmates did likewise; all had completed treatment by the mid-1980s.

Comeback and superstardom (1986–1999) 

Aerosmith rose to prominence again when Tyler and Perry appeared on Run–D.M.C.'s cover of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way" in 1986, a track that combined elements of hip-hop and rock, that broke down the barriers between the two genres, broke rap into the mainstream, and introduced Aerosmith to a new generation. The track hit number four on the charts and launched a famous music video that had heavy rotation. This paved the way for Aerosmith to mount a significant comeback. Tyler and Perry renewed their songwriting partnership, but were also working with outside songwriting collaborators brought in by the record company, such as Desmond Child and Jim Vallance. To give Aerosmith a slick sound accessible to mainstream audiences, they received help from producer Bruce Fairbairn. Aerosmith released Permanent Vacation in 1987, which became a huge multiplatinum success and launched three top-20 hits ("Dude (Looks Like a Lady)", "Angel", and "Rag Doll"). The band launched a tour with the emerging Guns N' Roses, opening many shows. Permanent Vacation was followed by 1989's Pump, which was even more successful, selling 7 million copies and producing three top-10 hits ("Love in an Elevator", "Janie's Got a Gun", and "What it Takes") and one top-40 hit ("The Other Side"). Pump in particular had Tyler expand his musical horizons, co-writing the innovative hit "Janie's Got a Gun", which won the first Grammy award for the band. The band toured with many emerging acts and performed in locations such as Australia for the first time. In the late 1980s, Tyler also guested on albums by comedian Sam Kinison, Alice Cooper (a fellow '70s rocker also launching a successful comeback) and popular contemporaries Mötley Crüe. Around that time, Tyler and Perry appeared at a Bon Jovi concert in Milton Keynes and performed "Walk This Way".

With the twin successes of Permanent Vacation and Pump, the band became an MTV sensation and Tyler became a household name. The band was featured on a "Wayne's World" sketch on Saturday Night Live in 1990, which is ranked as the number-one moment of all time on the show. That same year, Aerosmith recorded one of the first episodes of MTV Unplugged. In 1991, Aerosmith was one of the first bands to be featured on The Simpsons. That year, the band also signed a $30 million record deal with their old label Columbia, for which they would begin recording the following year. The box set Pandora's Box was released by Columbia in late 1991, and the band filmed a music video for "Sweet Emotion" to promote the release. Earlier in the year, the band also performed "Dream On" with an orchestra at MTV's 10th Anniversary celebration; their filmed performance was used as the official video for the song. After a brief break, the band returned to the studio in 1992 to record their next album. The band's A&R man John Kalodner criticized some of the early material being considered for this album, targeting Tyler's sexually profane lyrics in particular.

However, the band eventually began recording again and released Get a Grip in 1993, which became their most successful album worldwide, selling over 15 million copies and producing a series of hit singles ("Cryin'", "Livin' on the Edge", "Eat the Rich", "Amazing", and "Crazy"). While the album had mixed reviews and received some criticism for over-using outside collaborators, Aerosmith won more awards during this time than any other, winning two Grammy Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, two American Music Awards, a People's Choice award, and a Billboard Award. The band became well known for their videos at this time, which featured film-like storylines and up-and-coming actors and actresses such as Edward Furlong, Stephen Dorff, Jason London, Josh Holloway, and most notably Alicia Silverstone. Tyler's daughter Liv made her acting debut in the band's video for "Crazy" in 1994. The band also launched their biggest and most extensive tour yet, performing over 240 shows in nearly 30 countries, including touring Latin America for the first time and performing in many European countries for the first time.

After the 18-month Get a Grip Tour ended in December 1994, the band took a break in 1995 to spend time with their families. They needed to rest due to the grueling lifestyle of the previous 10 years under the helm of manager Tim Collins, who helped orchestrate much of the band's comeback and sustained success. Tyler and Perry also began writing for a new album, and the band performed a couple of one-off shows in Boston to try out the new material. They also vacationed together with their families in Florida. Aerosmith, however, almost broke up after Tim Collins spread rumors that band members were deriding each other and that Tyler was being unfaithful to his wife and using drugs again during recording sessions in Miami. The band subsequently fired Collins in 1996 in the middle of recording for their next album. In 1997, they released Nine Lives, which went double platinum, launched three hits ("Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees)", "Hole in My Soul", and "Pink"), and won the band their fourth Grammy for "Pink". They toured for over two years in support of the album. In 1997, Tyler and Perry were featured in a commercial for the GAP. That fall, the band's tell-all autobiography was released.

In 1998, while on tour in support of Nine Lives, Tyler suffered a ligament injury when a microphone stand fell hard onto his knee. Tyler and the band finished the show, but they had to cancel several dates, and Tyler had to wear a leg cast while filming the video for "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing". The song was the band's first number-one hit and the only song to date by a rock band to debut at number one on the Hot 100. It has since become a slow-dance staple, and at the time introduced Aerosmith and Steven Tyler to yet another new generation. The song was written for the film Armageddon, which featured Tyler's daughter Liv. In 1999, Tyler and Perry joined Kid Rock and Run–D.M.C. to perform "Walk This Way" at the MTV Video Music Awards. Earlier that year, the band had the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith open at Walt Disney World.

Continued success and touring (2000–2008) 

In 2001, Aerosmith played at the Super Bowl XXXV halftime show and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The band released the album Just Push Play, which featured the top-10 hit "Jaded". At the 2001 Indianapolis 500, Tyler sang the National Anthem in traditional Aerosmith style – complete with a raspy voice, bluesy swagger, and a hard rocker yell. When Tyler sang the National Anthem, he changed the words which caused a public outcry. Instead of singing "Land of the free and the home of the brave", he changed the words to "Land of the free and the home of the Indianapolis 500." This received negative reactions from veterans and fans, leading Tyler to issue a public apology.

In 2002, Aerosmith's two-hour-long Behind the Music was released, chronicling the band's tumultuous history and current activities and touring. They were also honored as MTV Icons. In the summer, they released the compilation O, Yeah! The Ultimate Aerosmith Hits, which went double platinum and included the new track "Girls of Summer".

In 2003, Tyler received an honorary degree from Berklee College of Music, and in 2005, received an honorary doctorate from the University of Massachusetts Boston. In 2003, he inducted AC/DC into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Later in the year, he went on tour with Aerosmith for the Rocksimus Maximus Tour with KISS. In 2004, Aerosmith released the blues cover album Honkin' on Bobo and launched a brief tour with Cheap Trick, focused on smaller markets. Tyler sang the National Anthem to kick off the 2004 World Series at Fenway Park. The 2004 film The Polar Express featured Tyler singing "Rockin' on Top of the World" alongside a group of computer-animated elves resembling Aerosmith.

In 2005, Tyler sang lead vocals on Santana's hit single "Just Feel Better" and made a cameo appearance in the film Be Cool. In 2006, after recovering from throat surgery and the grueling Rockin' the Joint Tour, Tyler performed with Joe Perry and the Boston Pops Orchestra for the orchestra's annual Fourth of July concert, his first major public appearance since the surgery. That year, Tyler recorded a duet with country music artist Keith Anderson, titled "Three Chord Country and American Rock & Roll".

Later that year, the Aerosmith compilation Devil's Got a New Disguise was released, which included two new tracks. Tyler hit the road with Aerosmith again for the Route of All Evil Tour with Mötley Crüe and also made several more public appearances. He made a cameo appearance on the sitcom Two and a Half Men, playing himself. On October 14, 2006, Tyler sang "God Bless America" during the seventh-inning stretch at game three of the National League Championship Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. On November 24, he volunteered by serving Thanksgiving dinner to the needy at a restaurant in West Palm Beach, Florida, before an Aerosmith show there. In 2007, Tyler kept active in Aerosmith with the band's world tour which had them perform in 19 countries. That same year, Steven and Liv Tyler were profiled on E! True Hollywood Story.

On May 21, 2008, Tyler checked into Las Encinas Hospital rehabilitation clinic in Pasadena, California, to recover from multiple leg surgeries. He made a public statement saying,  "The 'foot repair' pain was intense, greater than I'd anticipated. The months of rehabilitative care and the painful strain of physical therapy were traumatic. I really needed a safe environment to recuperate where I could shut off my phone and get back on my feet." In June 2008, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith was released, the franchise's first video game based solely around one band and the most successful game based around a band. On July 14, 2008, Tyler's mother, Susan Tallarico, died at age 84.

On July 18, 2008, Tyler appeared with Billy Joel at the last concert to be played at Shea Stadium. Backed by Joel's band, he sang lead vocals on "Walk This Way". In August 2008, HarperCollins won an auction to publish Tyler's autobiography. That same month, Tyler performed with trumpeter Chris Botti in Boston. The concert was released as a CD/DVD, Chris Botti In Boston in March 2009. In December 2008, Tyler made a surprise appearance at the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concerts at Nassau Coliseum (December 12, 2008) and the Izod Center (December 13, 2008). At the Izod Center, he collaborated with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra on "Dream On" and "Sweet Emotion".

Touring, American Idol, Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?, and Music from Another Dimension! (2009–2014) 

On August 5, 2009, while on the Guitar Hero Aerosmith Tour, Tyler fell off a stage near Sturgis, South Dakota, injuring his head and neck and breaking his shoulder. He was airlifted to Rapid City Regional Hospital. Aerosmith was forced to cancel the rest of their 2009 tour, except for two shows in Hawaii in October.

On November 9, 2009, the media reported that Tyler had no contact with the other members of Aerosmith and that they were unsure if he was still in the band. On November 10, 2009, Joe Perry confirmed Tyler had quit Aerosmith to pursue a solo career and was unsure whether the move was indefinite. No replacement was announced. Despite rumors of leaving the band, and notwithstanding Perry's comment as reported earlier the same day, Tyler joined The Joe Perry Project onstage November 10, 2009, at the Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza and performed "Walk This Way". According to sources at the event, Tyler assured the crowd that despite rumors to the contrary, he is "not quitting Aerosmith."

On December 22, 2009, Rolling Stone reported that Tyler had checked into rehab for pain management. In 2010, he embarked on the Cocked, Locked, Ready to Rock Tour with Aerosmith, which had them perform over 40 concerts in 18 countries. On September 16, 2010, it was reported he would have his first solo project. He wrote "Love Lives", a theme song for the Japanese sci-fi movie Space Battleship Yamato. The song was based on the English translated script, as well as on some clips of the film itself. The single was released on November 24, a week before the movie was released.

On September 22, 2010, Fox confirmed that Tyler would replace Simon Cowell as a judge for the tenth season of American Idol alongside Randy Jackson and fellow new judge Jennifer Lopez (who replaced Kara DioGuardi and Ellen DeGeneres). In December 2010, Tyler performed at the Kennedy Center Honors, honoring Paul McCartney by performing several tracks from Abbey Road.

On January 19, 2011, Tyler made his debut appearance as a judge on American Idol during the premiere of the show's 10th season, which aired through the end of May. On April 2, 2011, Tyler presented an award at the 2011 Kids' Choice Awards. The following day, he performed with Carrie Underwood at the Academy of Country Music Awards. Underwood and Tyler performed Underwood's song "Undo It" and completed their segment with an energetic version of the Aerosmith classic "Walk This Way". On May 3, 2011, he released his autobiography Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?, which reached number two on The New York Times Best Seller List in the category Hardcover Non-fiction. The book was accompanied by the new single "(It) Feels So Good", released May 10. The single reached number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100. In addition, during breaks in between Idol, Tyler worked on new material for Aerosmith's next studio album. Tyler performed the Aerosmith song "Dream On" on the season finale of American Idol on May 25.

In September 2011, he starred as the inspiration for Andy Hilfiger's fashion line, "Andrew Charles".  Tyler developed a signature scarf collection called "Rock Scarf" for Andrew Charles. On October 22, 2011, Tyler set off for an 18-date Aerosmith tour across Latin America and Japan. On October 25, it was reported by TMZ that Tyler slipped in his hotel shower in Paraguay and injured his face, including losing several teeth. Tyler was rushed to the hospital, and the scheduled show was postponed for the following night. When he did finally perform after the opening song, he proudly displayed his broken tooth which he had on a string around his neck. He then removed his sunglasses to reveal a nasty black eye.

On January 22, 2012, Tyler sang the National Anthem at the AFC Championship Game. On March 11, 2012, a special about Aerosmith aired on 60 Minutes, where some of the comments made by the band members highlighted the still-contentious relationships in the band. On March 22, Perry surprised Tyler with a performance of "Happy Birthday" on American Idol in advance of Tyler's 64th birthday. On March 26, 2012, Aerosmith announced their "Global Warming Tour" with dates in many major North American cities from June 16 to August 8, preceded by a performance on May 30 for Walmart shareholders. In April, a Burger King television commercial featuring Tyler debuted. Aerosmith's new album, Music from Another Dimension! was set for release on November 6, 2012 and the band debuted their new single "Legendary Child" with a performance of the song on the season finale of American Idol on May 23.

On July 12, 2012, Tyler announced that he would be leaving American Idol after two seasons, with a statement saying, "After some long ... hard ... thoughts ... I've decided it's time for me to let go of my mistress 'American Idol' before she boils my rabbit. I strayed from my first love, AEROSMITH, and I'm back — but instead of begging on my hands and knees, I got two fists in the air and I'm kicking the door open with my band. The next few years are going to be dedicated to kicking some serious ass — the ultimate in auditory takeover ..." However, the reports suggest that Tyler was dumped by the American Idol bosses. Tyler has since indicated that his troubles with his bandmates were the primary reason he signed up to do American Idol. He was replaced by Keith Urban.

On August 12, Aerosmith wrapped up the first leg of their Global Warming Tour with a rescheduled performance in Bristow, Virginia, and on August 28, the band released two singles simultaneously, the rocker "Lover Alot" and the ballad "What Could Have Been Love", both of which were coproduced and cowritten by Tyler. On September 22, Aerosmith performed at the iHeartRadio music festival in Las Vegas. On November 6, the new Aerosmith album Music from Another Dimension! was released, and on November 8, the band began the second leg of their Global Warming Tour, which took the band to 14 North American cities through December 13. On January 21, 2013, Aerosmith released "Can't Stop Lovin' You" (featuring Carrie Underwood) as the fourth single from Music from Another Dimension!. He briefly returned to American Idol in season 12, auditioning dressed up as a woman named "Pepper" in front of the judges (Randy Jackson, Nicki Minaj, Keith Urban, and Mariah Carey).

On February 20, it was announced that Tyler and his songwriting partner Joe Perry would be recipients of the ASCAP Founders Award at the society's 30th Annual Pop Music Awards on April 17. Two days later, it was announced that the duo would be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame at a ceremony to be held on June 13.

In late April and early May 2013, Aerosmith extended their Global Warming Tour to Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, and Singapore. This marked the band's first performances in Australia in 23 years, and the band's first-ever performances in the latter three countries. While down-under in April 2013, Tyler told New Zealand media of his "dear Maori friends" and why the band had opted only to play Dunedin for their first New Zealand concert date. He also confessed to having the hots for J-Lo (Jennifer Lopez) while working on American Idol and told of how it turned out to be one of the best things he ever did. Tyler also appeared in Moscow, Russia on November 9 for the Miss Universe 2013 pageant as one of the judges and performed "Dream On". On May 30, Aerosmith performed as part of the "Boston Strong" charity concert for victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. The band also performed at a handful of shows in the U.S. and Japan in July and August In the fall of 2013, Aerosmith extended their tour to Central and South America, including their first-ever performances in Guatemala, El Salvador and Uruguay.

From May 17 to June 28, 2014, Tyler performed 15 shows with Aerosmith on the European leg of the Global Warming Tour. This was followed by the Let Rock Rule Tour (featuring Slash with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators as the opening act), which sent Aerosmith to 19 locations across North America from July 10 to September 12.

We're All Somebody from Somewhere solo album, "Out on a Limb" solo tour, and continued touring with Aerosmith (2015–2019) 

On March 31, 2015, Tyler stated that he was working on his first solo country album. On April 6, it was announced that he signed a record deal with Scott Borchetta's Dot Records (a division of the Big Machine Label Group). On May 13, Tyler released the lead single, "Love Is Your Name", from his forthcoming debut album. He promoted the song on the Bobby Bones Show, iHeartMedia, CBS This Morning, Entertainment Tonight, and the American Idol season-14 finale. To increase his exposure to the country audience, Tyler appeared as himself in an episode of the musical drama series Nashville, performing a cover of "Crazy" with Juliette Barnes (portrayed by Hayden Pannettiere).

On June 13, Tyler rejoined his Aerosmith bandmates for the Blue Army Tour, which sent the band to 17 North American locations through August 7; this was followed by a one-off performance in Moscow on September 5. From the fall of 2015 through the spring of 2016, Tyler completed work on his solo album, We're All Somebody from Somewhere, which was released on July 15, 2016. A second single, "Red, White & You", was released in January 2016, followed by the third single (the title track) in June 2016. From July through September 2016, Tyler will be performing with his backing band Loving Mary on the 19-date Out on a Limb Tour; this was preceded by a pair of performances in Niagara Falls in March 2016 and a benefit show for his charity Janie's Fund in New York City in May 2016.

Since December 2015, in various interviews, Tyler and fellow Aerosmith bandmates Brad Whitford and Joe Perry all discussed the possibility of an Aerosmith farewell tour or "wind-down tour" slated to start in 2017. Perry has suggested the tour could last for two years and Tyler said it could potentially last "forever"; Tyler and Whitford also discussed the potential of doing one last studio album.

From September through October 2016, Tyler rejoined Aerosmith for a nine-date tour of Latin America, called the Rock 'N' Roll Rumble Tour, preceded by a performance at the Kaaboo Festival in San Diego.

In April 2017, Tyler performed with Aerosmith in Phoenix, Arizona for the NCAA Final Four Men's Basketball Tournament and also performed two solo shows with Loving Mary in Japan. Tyler rejoined Aerosmith for a "farewell" tour of Europe in the spring and summer of 2017, titled the Aero-Vederci Baby! Tour. After the European leg concluded in July, the band played in South America in September and October 2017 The last few dates of the tour had to be canceled, however, due to health issues. Tyler also performed a handful of solo shows in 2017 with The Loving Mary Band.

In January 2018, Tyler hosted an inaugural red carpet gala for his charity “Janie's Fund” during the 60th Grammy Awards. In February, he starred in a commercial for Kia Motors that aired during Super Bowl LII; the ad featured Tyler as a race car driver that went back in time, set to the soundtrack of the Aerosmith classic “Dream On”. In the spring and summer of 2018, Tyler played approximately two dozen concerts across North America and Europe with The Loving Mary Band as his backing band.

On August 15, Tyler appeared with Aerosmith on NBC's Today show to announce a residency in Las Vegas called “Aerosmith: Deuces are Wild”, a reference to both Las Vegas casino gambling and their 1994 single of the same name. The band was booked to play 50 shows from April 2019 thru June 2020 at the Park Theater. In July and August 2019, it performed at a festival in Minnesota and played nine shows at three MGM venues in Maryland, New Jersey, and Massachusetts.

Dirico Motorcycles (Red Wing Motorcycles) 
On September 15, 2007, at New Hampshire International Speedway, Tyler announced the launch of Dirico Motorcycles, which are designed by Tyler, engineered by Mark Dirico, and built by AC Custom Motorcycles in Manchester, New Hampshire. Tyler has been a long-time motorcycle fan and riding enthusiast,
Steven Tyler also participates in a variety of charity auctions involving motorcycles, including the Ride for Children charity.

Politics 
In the early months of 2013, an act was forwarded into the Hawaii legislature entitled the Steven Tyler Act (Hawaii Senate Bill 465). The act would give more privacy to public figures such as government officials and celebrities on vacation. Tyler and numerous other celebrities all lobbied for it. The legislation would give public figures the right to sue paparazzi for taking unwanted photographs. The bill's sponsor is Maui state legislator J. Kalani English. The bill was cleared through the Judiciary Committee on Friday, February 8, 2013.

In August 2015, Aerosmith attended the first Republican Party presidential debate held in Cleveland, as the band was in town for a Pro Bowl concert appearance. Tyler was reportedly a guest of candidate Donald Trump, rather than sitting with the band. Tyler's agent told reporters that he was there to promote his copyright reform ideas.

Personal life

Family and relationships 
In 1975, Tyler obtained guardianship of 16-year-old Julia Holcomb, so that she could live with him in Boston. They dated and took drugs together for three years. Holcomb was referred to as "Diana Hall" by the editor of the Aerosmith autobiography Walk This Way in an attempt to conceal her identity, but other sources have confirmed her identity. Pressures leading to their split included their age difference (Tyler was 27 when they first met), a withdrawn marriage proposal, a house fire, and a planned pregnancy that resulted in an abortion when Tyler was worried that the fire's smoke, as well as drugs, might lead to birth defects.

Band member Ray Tabano wrote in Walk This Way that the abortion "really messed Steven up,” because the child was a boy. Tyler wrote, "It was a big crisis. It's a major thing when you're growing something with a woman, but they convinced us that it would never work out and would ruin our lives. You go to the doctor and they put the needle in her belly and they squeeze the stuff in and you watch. And it comes out dead. I was pretty devastated. In my mind, I'm going, Jesus, what have I done?"

Holcomb revealed her regret for having the abortion, joined the Silent No More organization of women who have regretted their abortions, and converted to Catholicism.

Tyler had a brief relationship with fashion model Bebe Buell, during which he fathered actress Liv Tyler, born in 1977. Buell initially claimed that the father was Todd Rundgren to protect her daughter from Tyler's drug addiction. Through Liv's marriage to British musician Royston Langdon and relationship with entertainment manager David Gardner, Tyler has three grandchildren.

In 1978, he married Cyrinda Foxe, an ex-Warhol model, and the former wife of New York Dolls' lead singer David Johansen, and fathered model Mia Tyler (born on December 22, 1978). He and Foxe divorced in 1987; in 1997, she published Dream On: Livin' on the Edge With Steven Tyler and Aerosmith, a memoir of her life with Tyler. Foxe died from brain cancer in 2002.

On May 28, 1988, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Tyler married clothing designer Teresa Barrick. With Barrick, he fathered a daughter, Chelsea, in 1989 and a son, Taj, in 1991. In February 2005, the couple announced that they were separating due to personal problems.
The divorce was finalized in January 2006.

Tyler began a relationship with Erin Brady in 2006. They got engaged in December 2011. In January 2013, Tyler and Brady broke off their engagement.

Tyler is the cousin of Tommy Tallarico, co-creator of the concert series Video Games Live.

Health 
In 2006, immediately after a two-hour performance in Florida, Tyler got into an argument during which he yelled. He awoke the next morning to find that he had a hoarse voice. On March 22, 2006, the Washington Post reported that Tyler would undergo surgery for an "undisclosed medical condition".  A statement from Tyler's publicist read in part, "Despite Aerosmith's desire to keep the tour going as long as possible, [Tyler's] doctors advised him not to continue performing to give his voice time to recover." Aerosmith's remaining North American tour dates in 2006 on the Rockin' the Joint Tour were subsequently canceled.

The cause was diagnosed as a ruptured blood vessel in his throat, which was successfully sealed off using a laser by Dr. Steven M. Zeitels, director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Laryngeal Surgery and Voice Rehabilitation. In the words of Tyler: "He just took a laser and zapped the blood vessel." After a few weeks of rest, Tyler and the rest of Aerosmith entered the studio on May 20, 2006, to begin work on their new album.

Tyler's first public performance after the surgery was July 3–4, 2006, with Joe Perry at the Hatch Shell in Boston, with the Boston Pops Orchestra. The duo sang "Dream On", "Walk This Way", and "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" as part of the Boston Pops July 4 Fireworks Spectacular. Tyler's throat surgery was featured in 2007 on an episode of the National Geographic Channel series, Incredible Human Machine.

In a September 2006 interview with Access Hollywood, Tyler revealed that he had been suffering from hepatitis C for the past 11 years. He was diagnosed with the disease in 2003 and had undergone extensive treatment from 2003 to 2006, including 11 months of interferon therapy, which he said was "agony". The disease is usually spread through blood-to-blood contact, or with sharing used needles.

Tyler has publicly acknowledged his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction. In a 2019 interview, Tyler recalled: "'There was a moment in ’88 where management and the band pulled an intervention on me. They thought, "Get the lead singer sober, and all our problems would be over"...I am grateful and owe a thanks to them for my sobriety'". Tyler added: "'I have had many times in my life where I just couldn’t handle — whether it was a marriage or my addiction had reared its ugly head — and the rest of the guys in the band are not unlike that. But we have all seen each other through it, and we are here today'".

Gender 
In his 2011 memoir Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?, Tyler wrote, "I've been misquoted as saying that I'm more female than male. Let me set the record straight -- it's more half and half, and I love the fact that my feelings are akin to puella eternis (Latin for "the eternal girl"). What better to be like than the stronger of the species?".

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

Collaborative work

Music videos

Filmography

Philanthropy 
Tyler launched Janie's Fund – named after Aerosmith's 1989 track "Janie's Got a Gun" – in 2015 to providing protection and counseling for young female victims of abuse, and he has helped raise over $2.4 million for the organization since then. Janie's House, established in 2017 in Atlanta, offers shelter for victims of abuse or neglect, with space for 30 live-in clients and 24-hour medical facilities available.

Awards and nominations 

Emmy Award
 2011 – Outstanding Performer In An Animated Program – For playing "The Mad Hatter" on The Wonder Pets: Adventures in Wonderland (nominated)

References

External links 

 
 
 

20th-century American male actors
20th-century American male singers
20th-century American singers
21st-century American male actors
21st-century American male singers
21st-century American singers
1948 births
Actors from the New York metropolitan area
Aerosmith members
American country rock singers
American country singer-songwriters
American harmonica players
American heavy metal singers
American Idol participants
American male singer-songwriters
American people of Italian descent
American people of English descent
American people of German descent
American people of Polish descent
American rock songwriters
Blues rock musicians
American tenors
APRA Award winners
Berklee College of Music alumni
Living people
Male actors from Boston
Male actors from New York (state)
Musicians from Boston
Musicians from the New York metropolitan area
New York (state) Republicans
People from Sunapee, New Hampshire
People from Yonkers, New York
Singer-songwriters from Massachusetts
Singer-songwriters from New York (state)
Glam metal musicians
Piper Willis is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Mavournee Hazel. The actress went through a long casting process, which involved her travelling to Melbourne to audition three times. Months later, she was offered the role. Hazel then relocated to the city from Sydney within three days, so she was available for fittings and filming the following week. Ahead of her first episode, Piper was introduced to viewers in a four-part webisode series called Hey Piper. She made her first appearance in the main show during the episode broadcast on 16 September 2015. Hazel chose to leave her role to pursue further acting opportunities, and her final scenes aired on 3 April 2019.

Piper is the youngest child of Brad (Kip Gamblin) and Terese Willis (Rebekah Elmaloglou). Upon her family's arrival in 2013, Piper was often mentioned and said to be living in Canada on an exchange program. Producers held back her introduction to give her parents "a second chapter" ahead of her siblings' departures. Piper is portrayed as being a typical teenager, who is independent, mature, quick witted and loves technology. Hazel did not find the character much of a challenge to portray, as they are so similar to one another. She was also pleased to be playing a character that teenage viewers would be able to relate to.

The character's early storylines revolved around her finding her place within her family, her parents' separation, and her part in a fire at the local high school. Piper has been involved in an on-off relationship with her older neighbour Tyler Brennan (Travis Burns). The pairing has proven popular with viewers, who refer to them by the portmanteau "Typer". Writers have put several obstacles in the couple's way, including Tyler's casual relationship with Piper's half-sister Paige Smith (Olympia Valance). Other storylines have seen Piper bullied by her English teacher Elly Conway (Jodi Anasta), and have a one-night stand with her friend Angus Beaumont-Hannay (Jai Waetford).

Casting
The character had often been mentioned and referred to by her on-screen family since their arrival in May 2013, but she did not appear. Piper was said to be living and studying in Canada as part of a school exchange program. Executive producer Jason Herbison explained that Piper's introduction was held back for when her on-screen parents needed "a second chapter", should her siblings leave the show. Piper's arrival and Mavournee Hazel's casting was announced on 18 August 2015. Of joining the permanent cast, Hazel commented "It's a great feeling to be rewarded with the role of Piper after years of hard work, especially when I fell in love with the character after my first audition."

Hazel flew to Melbourne from her home in Sydney to meet with the casting director and audition for the role. This was followed by two more rounds of auditioning and a waiting period spread over a few months, until she was given the role. Hazel's biggest challenge during the auditioning process was the financial cost of getting to Melbourne, as she was a university student with a small budget. But she was confident that she would secure the role, saying "something just felt right about the whole situation". Hazel relocated to Melbourne within three days to be available for fittings and filming the following week. She told Anthony Graetz of CLIQUE Mag that she wanted to be with Neighbours for a few years, but had plans to relocate to Los Angeles or the UK for further acting work. Hazel made her debut as Piper on 16 September 2015.

Development

Webisodes and introduction
Ahead of her first appearance in the main show, the character was featured in a series of webisodes titled Hey Piper, which see her talking to various family members via online video calls. The first episode saw Piper introduced to her half-sister Paige Smith (Olympia Valance), shortly after the Erinsborough tornado. Their first interaction is "very awkward", as Paige mentions several family events that Piper does not know about. In the second episode, Piper calls her grandfather Doug Willis (Terence Donovan) to catch-up with him and go over new ideas for her blog. The third and fourth episodes feature Piper's father, Brad Willis (Kip Gamblin) informing her that he has separated from her mother and has begun a relationship with Lauren Carpenter (Kate Kendall). He later tries to comfort an upset Piper.

Piper arrived home to find her parents in the middle of an argument, which Hazel likened to "something from Jerry Springer!" The actress explained that Piper's siblings had told her about the fights the family had been having, which prompted her return from Canada. Piper believed that she might be "the glue that holds them all together." Hazel also said that Piper did not want to be forced into taking sides in her parents' separation and tried to view things objectively. She just wanted to find her place within the family again, but it was hard due to everything that was happening between Brad and Terese (Rebekah Elmaloglou). While she is out filming for her vlog, Piper meets Brad's new partner, Lauren. She is initially unaware of who Lauren is and finds her to be nice and kind. When Paige later introduced them, Piper was "torn" as she had planned on hating Lauren for breaking up her family.

Piper did not like Terese's attitude towards her marriage, as she thought Brad would be less likely to work through their issues if she kept pushing him away. However, the more time Piper spent with her mother, she began to understand her more. As Piper continues to film her vlog around Erinsborough, she befriends Ben Kirk (Felix Mallard). They have a platonic lunch together and discuss their mutual tastes in music. They later unintentionally caused some trouble at the local car garage. Hazel said that Piper notices that Ben is not like their peers and they form a "really great friendship". The actress added that they are not necessary the best influence on each other. While she continued to settle in, Piper began receiving text messages from her former boyfriend Brodie "Chas" Chaswick (Matt Testro). Hazel explained that Piper ended the relationship shortly before coming home to Australia, but Chas believed the distance was not a problem for them, so they stayed in touch.

Characterisation

During the casting process, Hazel and the producers shared a similar vision of what they wanted the character to be and Hazel was "so grateful" that they trusted her to bring Piper's quirkiness and storylines to life. Hazel shares some of the same personality traits with Piper and found that the character was not much of a challenge to portray, as she felt that she "knew this girl, knew what she was about." The actress also found that being so similar to Piper meant that she took criticism of her personally. Hazel wished she had been similar to Piper when she was her age, and she felt that she was slowly growing up to be like Piper.

In an interview with Carena Crawford from All About Soap, Hazel described Piper as having typical traits of a teenager, saying she was "technology-loving, free-thinking, liberated". She also said Piper was mature and intelligent, with "a quick wit and dry sense of humour." In an interview published on the official website, Hazel also described Piper as being fun, having a "cool approach to life" and someone who can be herself "unapologetically". Hazel enjoyed playing a character with a rebellious personality, but pointed out that for all of Piper's maturity and intelligence, she "doesn't have a filter when it comes to her actions."

During an interview for the show's official website, Hazel believed Piper's dream job would be a journalist at BuzzFeed or somewhere similar. She would enjoy voicing her opinions in "a very 21st century environment." Hazel did not think Piper was the type of person who finished high school, instead she would just apply for internships in the industry she wanted to work in. Hazel told Tim Falk of TV Soap that getting to live in Piper's Doc Martens, and the opportunity she got as an actor were the best things about playing Piper. She said that future storylines would see different aspects of Piper's personality. She continued, "There's lots of mischief, some deceit and guilt in store for Piper." Hazel added that viewers would get to see Piper's vulnerable side, as she lets her guard down.

Piper struggled growing up in her elder siblings' Imogen (Ariel Kaplan) and Josh's (Harley Bonner) shadows. Imogen was academic, while Josh excelled at sports, so Piper did not have a strong identity within the family until she went to Canada, where she built up an identity for herself. Unlike Imogen, Piper prefers to discover things for herself instead of learning from a book. Herbison called Piper the "anti-Imogen", as she tries to be different from her family. But Piper does have "the Willis temper", and like her mother, she is very independent. She also shares a strong bond with her father. When Piper meets Paige for the first time, they get along well. Hazel stated, "They both have this sort of sparky, sassy assertion about their character."

Piper becomes good friends with her neighbour Xanthe Canning (Lilly Van der Meer). Hazel initially thought Piper would not be friends with someone like Xanthe, but she realised that Xanthe brings out Piper's "girlie side", while Piper is always there for Xanthe. Hazel and Van der Meer are also friends in real life. Hazel said their scenes together are fun to film, as all the screaming and laughing comes naturally to them. When asked if Piper could end up dating Xanthe's boyfriend Ben, if they ever broke up, Hazel replied "Even when Xanthe wasn't in the picture Ben and Piper were just mates."

Erinsborough High fire
One of the character's early storylines involved her in a fire stunt at the local high school. During a charity sleep out at Erinsborough High, Piper encourages her new friend Ben to light a piece of paper on fire and set off the sprinkler system. However, it soon causes a "devastating fire" that leaves Piper's mother Terese with burns to her body. Both Ben and Piper are "guilt-ridden" by their actions, and she urges him to keep quiet about their involvement. However, Ben soon confesses everything to his grandparents and the police. As he faces a charge of reckless conduct, Piper struggles with her guilt, especially as she knows that her mother is suffering. While Ben keeps quiet about her role in the incident, Piper eventually tells Lauren that she shares some of the responsibility and Lauren urges her to tell the truth. Instead, Piper suggests to Ben that they run away and he agrees. They initially sleep rough in Erinsborough, before fleeing to Glenrowan, where they get jobs as fruit pickers. Ben begins to struggle with pain from his fractured ribs, which he sustained in an earlier accident, and later collapses.

As Piper prepares to return to her classes for the first time since the fire, she is nervous about the reaction of the other students, leading her to confide in neighbour Tyler Brennan (Travis Burns), who gives her reassurance that she will probably be seen as a hero. Upon her arrival at the school, Piper receives a mixed reaction from her peers. Some of them laud her part in the fire, while others are wary and scared. Piper "swiftly retreats home", where Tyler suggests that she could ask her parents not to send her back to school. When she does return, Piper is given a lighter, which she uses to threaten the students who try to get in her way. Piper's threats are overheard by Susan Kennedy (Jackie Woodburne).

Relationship with Tyler Brennan
As Piper continues her friendship with Tyler, she soon develops romantic feelings for him. Burns told an Inside Soap reporter that both characters share common interests and are "young, free and spirited". Tyler is oblivious to how strongly Piper feels about him, so when he lets her down gently, he feels satisfied with how he handled the situation. Piper then encourages Tyler to attend a singles' night, in the hope that he will pick her. When they return home, Piper initiates a kiss between them. Burns said Tyler was "shocked" by the kiss, explaining "There's a connection between them, but Tyler has never seen it in a romantic  way. He's worried about the age difference, and then there's the fact that Piper's dad Brad is staying with the Brennans – so it could be awkward!" Piper eventually tells Tyler about her feelings for him. While he admits to liking her too, he urges her to stay away, as he feels that he will only cause her trouble. Ignoring his warning, Piper is "crushed" when Tyler refuses to change his mind. She then witnesses him kissing barmaid Courtney Grixti (Emma Lane).

Piper and Tyler continue to share "a mutual attraction", but Tyler wants to have her parents' approval before they start a romantic relationship. Speaking to an Inside Soap columnist, Hazel explained that deep down Piper knows Brad and Terese will not support her relationship with Tyler. Piper tells Tyler that her parents have given them their blessing, in the hope that she will be able to bring them around to the idea. Hazel continued, "She hates lying to Tyler, but worries that he'll break up with her if he learns the truth." While Tyler believes that they have Brad and Terese's approval, he and Piper begin quietly dating and they plan to consummate their relationship on the night of the school formal. Hazel told the columnist that Piper wants to show Tyler how much he means to her. She also said that despite Piper's feminist views and "grungy" style, she was a romantic.

What's on TV's Tess Lamacraft asked Hazel if Piper was really in love with Tyler, and the actress replied that she was. Hazel explained that their relationship had been born out of a friendship and they found that they "just click". She told Lamacraft that they shared an "unspoken attraction and chemistry between them", which felt right. Hazel also found that Tyler helped to ground Piper, while she made him a better person. The pairing of Piper and Tyler proved popular with viewers, and Hazel appreciated the support for their romance, as it made filming with Burns more exciting. She admitted to being surprised by the positive reaction to the couple and said the writers would consider it as they write future storylines. The couple were given the portmanteau "Typer" by fans.

On the night of the school formal, Piper's parents learn she is planning on losing her virginity to Tyler and Terese bans them from attending the dance together. Piper tries to give her mother an ultimatum that either she attends the formal with Tyler or does not go at all, which "backfires massively" and she ends up with no plans for the night. Piper is also forced to tell Tyler that she lied to him and he "reluctantly" breaks up with her. Shortly after, he speaks to Brad about his feelings for Piper and convinces Terese to change her mind about them dating. Piper later finds Tyler talking to Elly Conway (Jodi Anasta) in The Waterhole bar. A jealous Piper throws a drink over Elly. Upon learning of Piper's actions, Brad takes her to the Kennedys' to apologise to Susan for her behaviour at the formal. Piper is "stunned" when Elly appears, and she learns that Elly is Susan's niece and her new English teacher. Hazel thought Piper's parents were to blame for everything that occurred at the formal. She commented, "Piper isn't responsible for her actions. It was such an unreasonable reaction by Terese."

The formal marked the beginning of a feud with Elly, and Hazel pointed out that the teacher's flirtatious personality was "the epitome of what Piper would dislike in a person." Piper soon notices that Elly holds "a big grudge" against her. Hazel told Daniel Falconer from FemaleFirst that Piper tries to explain to other adults that she is feeling bullied by her teacher, who has been purposely marking her work down and insulting her. However, due to Elly's denials, everyone believes her over Piper. Hazel commented that Piper's resilience eventually forces Susan to investigate and she finds that Piper has been telling the truth. Susan then makes Elly apologise. When asked if Piper and Tyler had any chance of reconciling, Hazel explained that Piper is hopeful, but she also realises that she has "completely lost herself to a guy" which is unlike her. The actress was pleased the writers were giving the characters some time apart.

When Piper discovers Tyler is having a casual relationship with Paige, she gets revenge by playing footage of them having sex in the garage at Brad and Terese's divorce party. In an interview with Daniel Kilkelly of Digital Spy, Hazel told him that Piper was acting on impulse and she thought that Tyler and Paige had to be caught out for lying to Piper. Piper wants them to feel as "humiliated" as she does. Piper also feels guilty when Jack Callahan (Andrew Morley) turns up and sees the footage, as he has feelings for Paige. Her parents express their disappointment in her and Piper finds herself all alone. Hazel told Falconer (FemaleFirst) that Piper is aware that she and Tyler have to rebuild their friendship before they try to begin a romantic relationship again.

One-night stand
In October 2016, a trailer showing Piper growing closer to friend and neighbour Angus Beaumont-Hannay (Jai Waetford) was released, leading to speculation that they would have sex. It later emerged that Piper would lose her virginity to Angus following another rejection from Tyler. The storyline begins with Tyler supporting Piper through various incidents, including her father's hospitalisation. Piper later attempts to kiss him, but he pulls away, which leaves her hurt and she runs off. Piper meets Angus and they share "a night of reckless teenage fun", where they admit that they might have been better off as a couple, instead of getting their hearts broken by Tyler and Elly respectively. As Angus talks to Piper and says some nice things to her, she is "surprised by his maturity and understanding of the situation", which makes her look at him in a different way. Piper kisses Angus, and they have sex in her car. The following morning, they are found and woken up by Tyler's brother Aaron Brennan (Matt Wilson), leaving them both embarrassed. Hazel stated, "I think there's a bit of regret, but on the surface Piper is very brazen about what's happened. She's really trying to convince herself that she's over Tyler." Aaron informs Tyler what he saw, leaving Tyler devastated, as he had decided that he was ready to commit to his relationship with Piper.

Departure
On 22 February 2019, Jess Lee of Digital Spy reported that Hazel could be leaving Neighbours, after noticing that she was no longer posting photos of the set to her social media accounts. Comments from her co-stars Elmaloglou, who stated that she misses Hazel, and Takaya Honda also appeared to confirm that the actress had left the cast. Hazel's management also updated her online CV, implying that she had finished filming. Speaking to a Herald Sun reporter, Hazel said she chose to leave Neighbours to further her acting career and challenge herself with new roles. She explained, "It's the end of an era for me, I've learned so much about myself as an actor and I've had to grow up pretty quick. It's hard because you're leaving full-time employment but I was itching to learn more and challenge myself." Spoilers for the week commencing 1 April 2019 confirmed that the character would be leaving on 3 April. After arguing with her sister Imogen, Piper decides to leave town and meet up with Tyler in Adelaide.

Storylines
Piper arrives home from Canada amidst a family argument. The following day, she meets her half-sister Paige in person, and Lauren Turner, her father's new girlfriend. While filming for her vlog, Piper befriends Ben Kirk and they spend the day together. Piper accuses her sister Imogen of not knowing her anymore due to them having so much time apart. Piper also feels increasingly isolated from her family. A fire breaks out at Erinsborough High during a charity sleep out. Piper's mother suffers serious burns and Piper pushes Brad away when it emerges he saved Lauren before Terese. Ben soon confesses to starting the fire, while Piper admits to Lauren that she encouraged him to set the sprinklers off as a joke. Piper and Ben run away and find jobs as fruit pickers. Piper calls Terese to tell her that she is okay. When Ben collapses, Piper sends him to the hospital in a taxi. Her parents find her and take her home. Piper turns to her neighbour Tyler Brennan for advice about returning to school. After enduring the other students calling her names all day, Piper threatens to set to fire to something, causing Terese to ban her from using technology. Piper does some bookkeeping at the garage and develops romantic feelings for Tyler.

Piper befriends Xanthe Canning and tries to keep her out of trouble. Piper's former boyfriend, Brodie "Chas" Chaswick is invited to stay with the Willises when Brad starts coaching him in swimming again. Piper and Brodie resume their relationship in secret, until Josh catches them kissing and makes them tell her parents. When Brad stops coaching Brodie, he and Piper plan to leave for Perth, but Piper changes her mind and calls Tyler to collect her. Josh and Piper's grandfather die from injuries caused by an explosion at the local hotel. Piper's half-brother Ned Willis (Ben Hall) also arrives in town and supports Piper. She initially suspects Brodie caused the explosion, but he has an alibi. Piper and Tyler become close, but Terese will not allow them to date because of the age difference. However, Piper tells Tyler that they have Brad's approval, so they date in secret. Terese agrees to let Tyler accompany Piper to the school formal, but changes her mind when she learns Piper plans to lose her virginity to him that night.

When Piper sees Tyler with a woman at The Waterhole, she becomes jealous and throws a drink over her. She later learns the woman is her new English teacher Elly Conway. Piper learns Tyler is casual dating Paige and she gets revenge on them by showing their sex tape at her parents' divorce party. Piper realises that Elly is deliberately marking her down and when Elly insults her, Piper makes a formal complaint. Her claims are initially not believed, until Susan catches Elly marking Piper down and she is made to apologise. Piper's family forget her birthday, but Tyler takes her to the beach for the day. When Piper later attempts to kiss Tyler, he pulls away. While Piper and Angus are watching fireworks together, they talk about unrequited love and Piper loses her virginity to him. Tyler learns what happened between Piper and Angus and admits that he is disappointed by her actions. Piper announces she is done with their relationship. However, when she learns Tyler is being threatened by Tim Collins's (Ben Anderson) for crashing his car, Piper blackmails Tim into dropping the police charges. Piper and Tyler reconcile at Brad and Lauren's wedding, and finally consummate their relationship. Brad and Terese refuse to support them, due to Piper's age.

When Brad attacks Tyler, he and Piper run away together. They eventually return to Erinsborough and briefly stay at Robinson's Motel, before Leo Tanaka (Tim Kano) invites them to move into his backpackers' hostel. Piper and Tyler struggle financially and she asks her parents for a loan, but they turn her down. Piper decides to apply for emancipation, so she can access social security payments, but changes her mind when Tyler gets a job. Piper buys a fake ID from Bec Simmons (Zenya Carmellotti) so she can enter the bar where Tyler works, but Elly finds her and takes the ID. She asks for the name of the person who made it, but Piper refuses to tell her. When Bec is suspended, another student forces Piper to get her a fake ID. Piper then joins forces with Willow Somers (Mieke Billing-Smith) to make and sell IDs, but Piper is soon caught by Elly. Piper fractures her leg and pelvis when a ute is reversed into the backpackers'. She decides to move back home, while she recovers. Piper challenges acting principal Finn Kelly (Rob Mills) when he makes changes to the school. She organises a student strike, but calls it off when Finn threatens to suspend her. Piper posts a vlog about misogyny and mentions the incident with Chas, which causes him to post several angry comments. The comments soon attract trolls, who attack Piper online. Susan advises against posting a response, but after Piper learns that Xanthe is being targeted too, she posts a new vlog. She continues to reply to her trolls, but later reports them to the administrator of her blog. Piper learns she has been doxxed and that her private videos and photos have been leaked online.

When Piper is about to sit her VCE English exam, Tyler shows her faked text messages designed to show that she is in a relationship with T-Bone. This leads to Tyler and Piper breaking up, but Tyler later learns that the texts were faked by Hamish, so that Tyler would sail away with him. Piper goes to Tyler's boat to make amends with him, but Hamish's ex-girlfriend Louise traps Piper on board and sets sail for Indonesia. Accidentally falling overboard, Piper washes up on a beach and looks for help, but she collapses, suffering from hypothermia. An anonymous man finds her and calls an ambulance, and she is taken to Erinsborough Hospital, where she recovers and reconciles with Tyler. Later she has a panic attack while in a backyard swimming pool. After Tyler is charged with murder, Piper urges Ben to change his story to the police. But after Xanthe confronts her, Piper tells Ben not to lie to the police. The day before Tyler's trial, Piper arranges for them to spend the night in a hotel in the city. She convinces Tyler that they should go on the run, and they change their appearances. However, the police soon turn up at the hotel after receiving a tip off. Tyler and Piper go up to the roof and Tyler jumps across to the next building, leaving Piper behind. Piper decides to follow, but she is left hanging from the edge. Tyler pulls her over and is assisted by a detective, who promptly arrests them both.

Tyler is sentenced to 20 years imprisonment, with a non-parole period of ten years. Tyler breaks up with Piper and refuses to see her again. Terese tells Piper that she informed the police about her and Tyler, Piper stays at Number 24. When Tyler's chair at the Brennan house is sold at a fete, Piper loses her temper and breaks down in tears. Terese persuades her to see a psychiatrist. Eventually Piper goes on a date with Cassius Grady. After Piper learns that Cassius is a keen reader, like herself, and has been highlighting books she obtained at the book exchange, they begin a relationship. Piper later learns that it was Cassius who rescued her on the beach and also rescued Paige's baby. She also learns that Cassius is Tyler's half-brother and that he murdered Hamish. Cassius is imprisoned, where he is assaulted and taken to hospital. Piper misses her period and thinks she might be pregnant and visits Cassius. Terese persuades Piper to take a pregnancy test which is negative. Piper tells Cassius to fight for a shorter sentence, before saying goodbye. Piper is knocked unconscious by Alice Wells (Kerry Armstrong) while she is at the law office. Alice fakes a break-in and then pretends that she found Piper, who recovers in hospital. Piper supports and encourages Xanthe, who has to move to Queensland for university.

Piper supports Terese's new relationship with Leo, but she is angry when Leo suddenly ends the relationship to date Delaney Renshaw (Ella Newton). When Terese is shot by Delaney's uncle Ivan Renshaw (Michael Shanahan), Piper blames Leo and refuses to let him see Terese. She later overhears her mother calling for Paul. Terese and Leo briefly reunite, but Terese breaks up with him to be with his father Paul Robinson (Stefan Dennis). Piper confronts Paul and Terese for hurting Leo. Piper supports a drunken Leo, as he struggles to get over Terese. Leo tries to kiss Piper, but she pushes him away and he later apologises. Piper and Leo arrange a movie night at the backpackers, which leads to them kissing and having sex. The next day, the two agree not to start a relationship, as Leo is still not over Terese and Piper is still getting over Tyler, but they agree to a casual relationship. Imogen returns to Erinsborough to fill in for Toadie and, after learning Piper is having sex with Leo, demands she tell Terese. Piper tells Leo about Imogen's ultimatum, and he accidentally reveals their relationship during an argument with Terese and Paul. Terese thinks he seduced her daughter out of revenge, before saying she thought Piper had more self respect. Terese later apologises and Piper continues her relationship with Leo.

Piper discovers Imogen is representing Finn Kelly, an attempted mass murderer, and confronts her in front of her family, which leads to an argument between them in the street. Imogen tells Piper that she has just been treading water, and is unhappy with herself. During Josh and Doug's memorial, Piper announces that she needs to leave Erinsborough, so she ends her relationship with Leo. The next day Piper says her goodbyes and leaves for Adelaide where she reunites with Tyler.

Reception
For her portrayal of Piper, Hazel received a nomination for Best Daytime Star at the 2018 Inside Soap Awards. She was also nominated in the "Best Soap Actor (Female)" category at the 2018 Digital Spy Reader Awards; she came in eighth place with 5.2% of the total votes.

Carena Crawford of All About Soap noted, "it doesn't take Piper long to create shock waves when she comes to Erinsborough!" Piper's arrival on UK screens was chosen as one of the top five soap moments by an Inside Soap reporter for 30 September. They stated "the poor girl has an awful lot to catch up on..." Another columnist for the publication branded the character "quirky". While Channel 5 dubbed her "elusive", due to her earlier absence from her family. Tess Lamacraft of What's on TV observed that Piper was "headstrong" and a "feisty, free-spirit". When Piper went to spy on Tyler and Imogen's date, a Inside Soap reporter disapproved of her actions, commenting "Not cool Piper, not cool..."

In June 2016, Daniel Kilkelly of Digital Spy named Piper as one of ten rising stars of the soap opera world. He wrote that as the show had delayed the character's introduction for so long, there was potential for her to be "a disappointment", but Kilkelly stated that Hazel's performance "had been a real breath of fresh air and she proved her worth early on with Piper's heartbreaking reaction to Josh's death." Kilkelly hoped Piper's future storylines would be bigger and less focused on romance.

A reporter for TV Soap called Piper and Tyler a "controversial couple". Following the end of their relationship, Burns created a petition asking if the couple should reunite. He planned to show the producers if the petition received 1,500 votes. He received over 1,700 responses from fans, showing their support for the couple. Following the character's exit in 2019, Maddison Hockey of TV Week stated: "Smart, witty and unafraid to stand out from the crowd, Piper was best known for her turbulent relationship with Tyler Brennan (Travis Burns)."

References

External links
 Piper Willis at the Official Neighbours website

Neighbours characters
Television characters introduced in 2015
Fictional waiting staff
Fictional Greek people in television
Fictional bisexual females
Willis family
Fictional LGBT characters in television
Female characters in television Tyler Brennan is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera Neighbours, played by Travis Burns. The actor was asked to audition for the role in 2014, while he was working in the United States. After winning the role, Burns relocated to Australia. Neighbours marks Burns' first Australian television acting job. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 6 February 2015. Burns left the cast in late 2017, and Tyler made his on-screen departure on 27 February 2018. He made a brief return from 16 October 2018, and again on 3 April 2019.

Tyler was introduced as the younger brother of established character Mark Brennan (Scott McGregor). He is portrayed as an impulsive, cocky "badboy-with-a-heart". Burns said that Tyler was untidy and relaxed, which was the exact opposite of Mark. Tyler had a short-lived romance with Imogen Willis (Ariel Kaplan), before switching his attentions to her half-sister Paige Smith (Olympia Valance). One of the character's first story arcs focused on his involvement with Dennis Dimato's (David Serafin) stolen car ring. Tyler eventually realises that he is in too deep and makes a confession to Mark, which results in his arrest.

Tyler and Mark's brother Aaron Brennan (Matt Wilson) and father Russell Brennan (Russell Kiefel) were introduced in 2015. Russell's introduction marked the start of a "controversial" domestic violence storyline, as it emerged that he had abused Tyler when he was younger. The following year, producers paired Tyler with Imogen and Paige's younger sister Piper Willis (Mavournee Hazel), whose parents oppose the relationship due to the age difference between them. The relationship lasts until Tyler's departure in 2018, but Burns later reprised his role to help facilitate Piper's exit from the serial, which saw the couple reunite.

Casting
On 30 October 2014, the serial's official website announced that actor and model Travis Burns had been cast as Tyler Brennan, the younger brother of established character Mark Brennan (Scott McGregor). Burns was working in the United States when he was asked to audition for the part in early 2014. After securing the role, Burns relocated back to Australia. Of his casting, he said "When you score a role on a show as iconic as Neighbours, you don't say no. It's especially cool to be joining the show in its 30th-anniversary year. I feel like I've arrived at the perfect time." Neighbours marks Burns's first Australian television acting job, following his on-screen debut in The CW series SAF3. Burns had previously met McGregor through their modelling agency and believed that they had developed a "brotherly spark" through that connection, which he felt helped him secure the role. He also believed the role was meant to be his as his young nephew is also named Tyler. Burns made his screen debut as Tyler on 6 February 2015.

Development

Characterisation and introduction
Tyler is a mechanic and the youngest of four siblings. Tyler's profile on the official Neighbours website billed him as "cheeky, charming and cocky". While Melissa Field from TV Week Soap Extra described him as a "badboy-with-a-heart", a "ladies' man" and a "troublesome little brother". Tyler is also impulsive and suffers from "a short attention span". Burns explained that Tyler was the exact opposite of his older brother Mark, branding Tyler untidy, relaxed and "a go-with-the-flow type of guy". In August 2015, Burns told TV Soap's Tim Falk that Tyler's storylines had allowed him to explore many different sides of the character. He explained "I feel that Tyler has not only changed but he has definitely grown from his experiences while living on Ramsay Street. I think he can be quite misunderstood, so it's been nice to watch different layers of him unfold." Tyler has long hair, which he often wears in a man bun. Burns had been growing his hair long for a year prior to securing the role of Tyler, and the producers decided to keep it for the character. Burns noted that it is "a point of difference" for his character.

After attending a toga party at the local university, Tyler came across a hungover Imogen Willis (Ariel Kaplan) and carried her to his motorbike. Burns commented that "sparks fly" between them. Tyler brought Imogen home to Ramsay Street and she hit her head, after falling from the bike. Imogen's state caused her friend Daniel Robinson (Tim Phillipps) to believe that Tyler had taken advantage of her. Daniel confronted Tyler and when it escalated, Tyler was taken into police custody. Tyler then had the station call his brother, who was "not overly impressed" at having to bail him out. Burns admitted that the brothers had a complicated relationship and had not been in touch with each other for a long time. Tyler moved in with Mark and asked him for a job at the garage. Mark was not happy with the idea and Burns explained, "He knows Tyler never finishes anything he starts! But after reconsidering, he decides to give Tyler a second chance for once, and puts in a good word for him." Burns added that Mark wanted to see if Tyler would prove him wrong.

Relationships

Imogen Willis
After settling in, Tyler asked Imogen to spend some time with him. She agreed, but had no intention of pursuing a relationship with him due to her feelings for Daniel. However, Imogen's sister Paige Smith (Olympia Valance), believed that there could be something more between them and invited them both to a pool party. Imogen tried to make it clear that Tyler was more suited to Paige. But after Paige encouraged Tyler to get to know Imogen better, they bonded. Tyler's crush on Imogen faded when he realised she was in love with Daniel. Valance observed "Imogen's too smart for him. That whole thing was Imogen trying to distract herself from her love for Daniel." A couple of months later, Tyler proved to be "a welcome distraction" for Imogen at a law society meeting. They went on to play a game of strip poker at the Men's Shed, while flirting heavily with each other. Tyler later convinced Imogen to "embrace her wilder side" and when he asked her on a date, she took him paintballing. After returning to Tyler's house, they ended up kissing and Tyler tried to take things further, but Imogen panicked and left.

Imogen and Tyler's flirtation eventually developed into a romance and Imogen decided to lose her virginity to him. Kaplan explained that Imogen believed having sex with Tyler would help her to move on from her feelings for Daniel. Her peers were all in relationships and she thought she should be in one too. Kaplan continued, "Tyler is fun, there's nothing offensive about him, and he's probably the distraction she needs at this time." Imogen soon began having doubts about the relationship. When she and Tyler were together in his bedroom, she admitted to him that she was still in love with Daniel. Kaplan said that Imogen realised that she would be losing her virginity to Tyler for all the wrong reasons, and did not want to regret it. Imogen then fled Tyler's house, leaving him alone and confused.

Paige Smith
After realising that Imogen did not reciprocate his feelings, Tyler switched his attentions to Paige, who had once dated his brother. She initially told him that she would not be his second choice, but when she learned that Mark had moved on with someone else, she changed her mind. Tyler thought Paige might be using him to get back at Mark, but Paige assured him that she was genuinely interested in him. After spending the day flirting, Tyler and Paige kissed, but during the moment Paige called out Mark's name. Paige and Tyler then decided to just be friends. When Paige and Tyler were forced to work together to pay off their debt to Michelle Kim (Ra Chapman), they became involved in a fake relationship to cover up their illegal activities. To try to get out of debt, Paige and Tyler tried to raise some money by taking part in a bikini car wash. After realising that they made a good team, Tyler made a romantic advance towards Paige, but she rebuffed him. However, Paige later changed her mind and returned to the garage with the intention of having sex with Tyler, but she discovered he had already moved on with a customer.

Valance thought Paige was better off with Tyler's brother, commenting "I think she needs someone with a bit more maturity – Paige and Tyler are a lethal combination." When Tyler and Paige became stuck in a well together, they gave into their feelings for each other and kissed. Tyler was pleased by the development in their relationship, but Paige later admitted to him that she still had feelings for Mark. Tyler was then forced to tell her that he just wanted to be friends. Burns said "Tyler would keep fighting for Paige, even if she was going out with his brother!" The actor believed that Tyler would respect the situation if Paige was with his brother, but he would secretly be trying to win her back, as he really liked her. Tyler later learned that Paige and Mark had decided to get back together and Burns commented that it hurt Tyler to see them as a couple, as he had felt a genuine connection with Paige.

Piper Willis
Tyler becomes friends with his neighbour, and Imogen's younger sister, Piper Willis (Mavournee Hazel). She begins to idolise him and soon develops romantic feelings for him. Burns told an Inside Soap writer that Tyler and Piper were both "young, free and spirited" and that Tyler was initially "oblivious" to how she felt about him. Tyler decides to let Piper down gently and is pleased with how he handled the situation, but he was unaware of how strong Piper's feelings were. When Piper encourages Tyler to attend a singles' night, he hopes that he will meet someone new, while Piper wants him for herself. As they return home, Tyler is "gobsmacked" when she initiates a kiss between them. Burns explained Tyler surprise: "It's fair to say that Tyler's shocked. There's a connection between them, but Tyler has never seen it in a romantic way. He's worried about the age difference, and then there's the fact that Piper's dad Brad (Kip Gamblin) is staying with the Brennans – so it could be awkward!"

Working for Dimato

Tyler began working for businessman Dennis Dimato (David Serafin) to earn more money, but soon realised that the work he was carrying out was illegal when he was asked to strip Imogen's stolen car for parts. Dimato later called in a favour from Tyler, asking him to spy on Mark and the police investigation into his business. Tyler learned that Mark's sergeant did not think the case was worth pursuing, but Mark wanted to bring Dimato down on his own. When Matt Turner (Josef Brown) later saw Tyler and Dimato together, he warned Tyler to stay away from him. That same day, Paige caught Tyler checking out cars to steal and he was forced to tell her the truth about his job with Dimato. When Dimato and his associates started looking for a new base to continue their illegal car parts business, Tyler tried put them off buying the garage by telling that it had an uncertain future as the owner was selling it. However, Tyler realised he had made a mistake when Dimato decided to buy garage and pointed out that it provided Tyler with the perfect cover.

Both Tyler and Paige were later blackmailed into selling stolen car parts to pay off their debts to Dimato and his partner Michelle. When Tyler missed a meeting with Joey Dimato (Steven Sammut), who was leaving a stolen car at the garage, Paige's younger brother Bailey Turner (Calen Mackenzie) took the car. Michelle told Tyler to find the car or she would make him pay. But when she overheard Paige telling Tyler that she had reported the car to the police, Michelle ordered them both to pay her the money owed or get another car. A TV Soap columnist noted, "Tyler knows he's getting in way over his head, but he also knows it's far too late to back out". Michelle later blackmailed Paige into taking a job at the garage selling the stolen car parts.

Tyler and Paige tried to make the garage go legitimate by setting up car washes and automotive courses, but they were soon drawn back into Dimato's crime syndicate when Joey left them a bag of money and Michelle ordered them to make a drop-off. When they discovered that a community fundraiser was taking place near the drop-off point, they decided to leave the money in an old well and return for it later. However, they became stuck in the well when they realised that they could not surface with the money due to a large number of people nearby. Tyler and Paige later learned that there was $6000 missing from the bag and Tyler was "viciously beaten" when he asked for more time to find the money.

When Tyler realised that he was in "too deep" with Dimato, he eventually admitted his involvement to Mark, believing it was the right course of action. However it resulted in his arrest. Burns explained that Tyler believed that his confession would mean Mark would go easier on him, but "he's heartbroken when Mark arrests him – you don't expect that from your own brother!" When the police offered him a reduced sentence, Tyler agreed to become their informant and wore a wire to a meeting with Michelle. However, before he could get any incriminating evidence, the transmitter was damaged. Tyler then learned that Dimato was returning to town and he agreed to go undercover again. But Dimato got to him first and Tyler was forced to attend a meeting with Dimato and his associates.

Family and domestic violence
When Mark felt that Tyler had "gone off the rails", he invited their brother Aaron (Matt Wilson) to help, as he knew Aaron and Tyler were close. Wilson explained that it had been six years since the brothers had seen each other. He described Aaron as an opportunist like Tyler and said he often acted as a mediator between Tyler and Mark. Burns told Inside Soap's Sarah Ellis that Aaron's arrival changed the dynamic between Tyler and Mark. He continued, "One of us will always take the other's side and we end up teaming up against each other." Shortly after Aaron's arrival, Tyler tries to set him up with his friend Nate Kinski (Meyne Wyatt), but they quickly realise that they have nothing in common. Following Tyler's arrest, Aaron bails him out of jail. This makes Mark "furious", as he believes that they are teaming up against him. He then throws Tyler out of his house. Burns said Tyler initially believes Mark is joking, but he is forced to stay in the Men's Shed for a few nights. An Inside Soap reporter observed that Tyler and Mark's relationship was at "an all-time low".

The Brennan family was expanded again following the introduction of the brothers' father Russell (Russell Kiefel) in August 2015, and the family became the centre of "a controversial" domestic violence storyline. When Tyler saw his father on Ramsay Street, he packs up his belongings and leaves. Burns explained that Tyler initially feels "pain and fear" upon seeing his father and decides to avoid him, as he is worried that what happened between them would happen again. After leaving the street, Tyler stays at the Men's Shed. Karl finds him and Tyler opens up about the physical abuse he suffered at Russell's hands. Burns said, "Tyler feels he can trust Karl, so he opens up and tells him everything. The relationship between Tyler and Russell is obviously very damaged – but it's been great for me as an actor to be able to bring it to life on screen." Falk (TV Soap) observed that the abuse Tyler suffered had "a huge influence" on the type of man that he had become. Falk branded it "a compelling storyline" and said that it helped to explore the Brennan's complex family relationships.

When Tyler invites Karl's grandson Ben Kirk (Felix Mallard) to work on a bike, Russell also invites himself along. Burns told Alana Wulff of TV Week Soap Extra that Tyler is initially hesitant because of what happened between them in the past. However, he is surprised when he and Russell bond and play practical jokes on Ben. But when Ben gets his own back on Russell, he loses his temper and threatens them both, forcing Karl to step in. Tyler suffers flashbacks to his teenage years with his father. Burns said "When Tyler's alone with his dad, he fears the worst – that anything could go wrong at any second." Russell plans to purchase Fitzgerald Motors with Mark and Aaron's support. Tyler's lack of enthusiasm leads Russell to confront him. Tyler begs his father to apologise for the way he treated him when he was growing up, but Russell refuses. Tyler is "overcome" by his anger and he punches his father. Burns explained that Tyler stands up for himself, and to Russell, for the first time. Mark intervenes and Tyler reveals that their father used to beat him. Mark initially thinks that Tyler is lying, but he and Aaron soon learn the truth from Russell. They both feel that they have let their younger brother down. Russell finally apologises to Tyler, before he leaves town.

Producers planned for Kiefel to reprise his role as Russell Brennan, but when he died in November 2016, the storyline was changed. On-screen, the family are informed that Russell has died. Shortly after, Tyler learns that Russell is not his biological father. Tyler does not expect his real father to turn up in Erinsborough, but while he is playing pool at The Waterhole, an older man begins talking to him. The man, Hamish Roche (Sean Taylor), later turns up at the Brennans' house and introduces himself as Tyler's father. Burns commented that "it's a massive shock" for Tyler, who initially does not want anything to do with Hamish. Burns said he would tell his character to get to know Hamish, explaining "There's a huge void in Tyler's life because he never got to make amends with Russell before he died – and now he has chance to connect with Hamish." Hamish is the father Tyler's always wanted, as he is caring and interested in Tyler's life.

Departure and return
In November 2017, Burns initially confirmed via social media that he was not leaving Neighbours in the near future. However, during the following month, Fiona Byrne of the Herald Sun reported that Burns was leaving the show to pursue other roles in United States. His departure was confirmed on 14 February 2018, and Tyler's exit scenes aired on 27 February.

On 8 October 2018, Kilkelly (Digital Spy) confirmed that the character would be returning on 16 October, following his release from prison, where he was serving a twenty year sentence for Hamish's murder. After Tyler's charges are downgraded to assault, he is reunited with his brothers and sister Chloe (April Rose Pengilly). He initially refuses to see Piper, but they eventually talk about everything that has happened. Burns filmed his scenes earlier in the year, and they helped to "tie up all of the loose ends" in Tyler's storylines. Burns made a brief appearance on 3 April 2019 for Piper's exit storyline.

Storylines
Tyler takes a hungover Imogen Willis home and she cuts her head falling from his motorbike. Daniel Robinson and Paige Smith accuse Tyler of assaulting Imogen and they fight, causing them to be arrested. At the station, Tyler is reunited with his brother Mark. He moves in with Mark and gets a job at the local garage. Needing money to pay the rent, Tyler contemplates selling his bike, but is offered a job by Dennis Dimato. He is tasked with stripping Imogen's stolen car for parts, but he returns it anonymously, after agreeing to do a favour for Dimato. Tyler bonds with Imogen and he kisses Paige, but after she calls out his brother's name, they agree to be friends. Tyler steals a car for Dimato, but it is tracked by the police and Tyler is forced to hide while Dimato is arrested. Dimato purchases the garage to continue his operations and then flees the country. His partner Michelle Kim takes over his business and makes Tyler steal more cars. Imogen and Tyler go on a couple of dates, and Imogen decides to lose her virginity to him, but soon changes her mind.

Paige's brother Bailey takes one of the stolen cars and when it is reclaimed, Michelle demands Paige and Tyler get her $8,000 or another car. Michelle also blackmails Paige into working with Tyler at the garage. Tyler develops feelings for Paige, but she is still in love with Mark; however, when he catches them working late at night, they are forced to tell him they are dating. Paige and Tyler try to make the garage a legitimate business in order to pay off their debts. Joey Dimato leaves them a bag of money that needs to be dropped off. Not wanting to be caught with it, they throw it down a well and retrieve it later. They discover some of the money has been stolen and Tyler is beaten. He refuses to go to the hospital and Paige gets him some painkillers. He tells his brother that he came off his bike. Tyler becomes dependent on the painkillers and steals Karl Kennedy's prescription pad to get more, causing tension between him and Nate Kinski. Mark contacts their brother Aaron and asks him to visit, knowing that he and Tyler are close.

Karl discovers the missing prescriptions and Tyler confesses to taking them. He also admits to Mark that he has been working for Dimato. Mark arrests Tyler and asks him to leave the house. Nate persuades Karl to let Tyler stay with him. Tyler agrees to wear a wire and meet with Michelle, in return for the charges against him being dropped. When the wire is damaged, a second sting is organised, but Dimato returns and takes Tyler to a meeting at a warehouse. Tyler attempts to run away, but is quickly caught. Before he is harmed, Mark and the police arrive to arrest Dimato and his accomplices. Tyler attempts to tell Paige that he has feelings for her, but soon learns that she and Mark are back together. He befriends Karl's grandson Ben, but when Ben skips school to spend the day with him, Karl and Susan (Jackie Woodburne) tell Tyler to be more responsible. He decides to move home, but when he spots his father, Russell, in the street, he stays at the Men's Shed. Tyler then admits to Karl that Russell used to beat him. Russell eventually apologises to Tyler for his actions.

Tyler and Russell spend the day with Ben, and they bond when they play practical jokes on him. But when Russell loses his temper with Ben, Tyler is reminded of their past. Russell later goads Tyler and Tyler punches him. He then tells Mark about the abuse he endured when he was younger, and his brothers ask Russell to leave. Ben accidentally leaves the garage unlocked, leading to the theft of tools and Tyler's bike. Paige helps Tyler to find the stolen items and he kisses her, but Paige assures him that she loves his brother. Tyler helps Mark arrest the thief and he later meets the new owner of the garage Lucas Fitzgerald (Scott Major), who keeps him on as manager. Tyler is tasked with hiring another mechanic for the garage and he offers the job to Stephanie Scully (Carla Bonner). He later discovers Steph kidnapped Lucas' son while suffering from a psychotic break. Steph convinces him and Lucas she has changed and keeps her job. Tyler manipulates Paige and Mark into talking about having children, knowing Mark wants to be a father, but Paige is not ready. Aaron confronts him on his behaviour, realising he is trying to break them up. Tyler is trapped in a lift with Paige when a fire breaks out at Erinsborough High. He confesses his love for her, before passing out due to smoke inhalation. Paige gets Tyler breathing again and they are rescued by Mark. At the hospital, Tyler tells Paige that he plans to move on from her.

Tyler befriends Piper Willis (Mavournee Hazel) when she turns to him for advice. Piper develops a crush on Tyler and kisses him. He tells her nothing can happen, as she is too young for him. Piper's parents also warn him to stay away from her, after learning about the kiss. Imogen arranges a date with Tyler to get over Daniel. Piper admits that she has feelings for Tyler, but he tells her he would only bring her trouble and he begins dating Courtney Grixti (Emma Lane). They break up when Tyler feels that Courtney is trying to run his life. Imogen develops feelings for Tyler, so Tyler propositions her, as a ploy to get her to realise she wants to be with Daniel. Tyler confesses to the police that his interference with the Lassiter's boiler may have caused the explosion, but he is soon cleared as he did not touch the gas valve. Piper and Tyler grow closer and admit their feelings for each other. Tyler tells Piper that if they want to date, they need her parents' permission. Piper tells Tyler that Brad has given his blessing, and they agree to keep their relationship a secret, until Terese (Rebekah Elmaloglou) gives hers. However, when Terese learns Piper plans to have sex with Tyler on the night of the school formal, she bans them from attending the dance together. Tyler breaks up with Piper, and he and Paige soon start a casual relationship.

Tyler and Piper become close again when he takes her to the beach to celebrate her birthday. He later rejects a kiss from her, before deciding that they should be together. However, he soon learns that she spent the night with Angus Beaumont-Hannay (Jai Waetford). Piper later tells Tyler that she is done with him. He then takes Tim Collins's (Ben Anderson) car from the garage and crashes it. Simone Bader (Kahli Williams) offers to take the blame and Tyler agrees. He gives her $600 and lets her stay at the Men's Shed. He later tells Paige and Jack that he took the car and hands himself into the police. Tyler sells his half of the house to Mark to pay for the repairs to Tim's car. Tim asks Tyler to do a job for him in return for him not pressing charges, but Tyler refuses. He later learns Tim has changed his mind, as Piper has blackmailed him. Tyler and Piper reconcile at Brad and Lauren's wedding. Brad and Terese refuse to support the relationship, due to Piper's age. When Brad attacks Tyler, he and Piper drive off together. Mark and Ned find them at a motel in Glenrowan, and Tyler persuades Piper to return home. Tyler loses his job at the garage. Leo Tanaka (Tim Kano) invites him and Piper to move into his backpackers hostel. They struggle financially, until Tyler gets a job at a bar in the city. Weeks later, he is fired, but he manages to convince Lucas to give him his job back at the garage.

Tyler feels insecure when he sees Piper bonding with backpacker T-Bone (Des Flanagan) and later fights with him. Piper is injured after a ute crashes into the hostel and Tyler initially believes T-Bone was responsible. With Mishti Sharma's (Scarlet Vas) help, he finds T-Bone in the city and attacks him. Piper decides to return home while she recovers, while Tyler moves back in with his brothers. Their mother Fay Brennan (Zoe Bertram) comes to visit, and she apologises to Tyler for leaving him and his brothers with Russell and for the abuse he suffered. Fay later tells Tyler, Mark and Aaron that their father, Russell is seriously ill and wants to see them. However, before they set off for the airport, Fay learns that Russell has died. Mishti strikes Tyler with her car, leaving him with severe bruising. Shortly after returning from Russell's funeral, Sheila Canning (Colette Mann) tells Mark, Aaron and Tyler that one of them is not Russell's son. Fay then returns to explain that Tyler was born after she had an affair with Hamish Roche (Sean Taylor). Tyler struggles with the revelation. Hamish soon comes to Erinsborough to meet Tyler, who is encouraged to spend time with him by Mark. Hamish persuades Tyler and Aaron not to sell the boat they inherited from Russell, and asks Tyler to repair it.

Tyler is fired from the garage when a car engine falls on Amy Williams (Zoe Cramond). His relationship with Mark suffers when Mark is accused of hurting Hamish. He later breaks up with Piper when T-Bone returns to town and he thinks she is cheating on him. Hamish's body is later found in the Cannings' spa. Tyler admits to his brothers that he argued with Hamish about his recent actions and involvement in Russell's death. He then struck him with a garden gnome, but Hamish was alive when Tyler left him. Tyler reunites with Piper and supports her through her panic attacks, following an incident on the boat, in which she was pushed overboard. Tyler confesses to the police about hitting Hamish and he is charged with manslaughter, but the charge is later upgraded to murder. The Brennans agree to sell the boat to pay for Tyler's legal defence, and various Ramsay Street residents buy shares in it. Tyler is approached by Adrian Snyder (Michael Vice), who explains that he is there on behalf of Philip Banks, an inmate at the prison Tyler will be sent to, who will make Tyler's arrival easy, but only if he did something in return. Adrian asks Tyler to seduce Philip's wife, Verity (Simone Amman), to check that she is being unfaithful. Tyler goes through with the plan, but Verity knows that it is a trap as Philip has done it before. Verity tells Tyler that Mark was the police officer who had put her husband in prison.

Snyder later poisons Piper's cat, Clementine and Tyler agrees to do another job. Snyder asks him to cut out a hole in the bottom of a van, so Banks can escape prison. However, Tyler fails to carry out the job when he finds Aaron has collapsed at the gym. Snyder dumps broken glass in the swimming pool at the Brennans' house, leading to Ben cutting his foot. The night before Tyler's trial, Piper arranges for them to stay in a hotel in the city. She then persuades him to go on the run with her, and they change their appearances. After hearing the police are on their way to them, Tyler and Piper go up to the roof and Tyler realises that he can jump over to the next building. He tells Piper that he has to leave her behind, but she tries to follow him and ends up hanging from the edge of the building. Tyler and a detective save her, and they are both arrested. At his trial, Tyler pleads guilty to murder. The judge sentences him to 20 years imprisonment, with a non-parole period of ten years. When Piper visits him the following day, Tyler breaks up with her. After learning Banks is being released from solitary confinement, Tyler is persuaded to request a transfer and he says goodbye to his brothers, before being moved to a prison in Adelaide.

After months of no contact, Piper receives a letter from Tyler, declaring his continued love for her but encouraging her to move on. She begins dating Cassius Grady (Joe Davidson), but it later emerges that Cassius is Tyler's half-brother, and the true killer of their father Hamish. When Cassius confesses, Tyler is transferred back to Melbourne for a hearing and granted release from prison. Piper and Tyler contemplate their future, but she admits that she is still in love with Cassius. Tyler visits Cassius and unleashes his anger at his half-brother, accusing him of stealing months of his life; soon after, Cassius is attacked by a fellow prisoner and Piper asks whether Tyler organised the attack, which he denies. Piper later apologises to Tyler and they kiss. But he tells her that too much has happened and he is not the same person anymore. Tyler decides to move to Adelaide for a fresh start. Months later, Piper turns up on Tyler's doorstep after leaving Erinsborough.

Reception
The character has received a positive reception from television critics for being aesthetically pleasing. During his first appearance, a Coventry Evening Telegraph reporter branded Tyler "an attractive stranger". A TV Week columnist called the character "hunky" and observed "everyone loves good Neighbours, especially one as hot as this newcomer!" Another contributor to the publication called Tyler the "new resident hottie". While an Inside Soap columnist labelled him "troublesome". Their colleague Michael Cregan praised the character, saying "imagine how thrilled we were to hear that there's another hunky Brennan brother in town. Happily for us, it looks as if Tyler shares the family aversion to clothes!"

Another Inside Soap columnist dubbed Tyler "eye candy for the slightly younger lady" and thought his "womanising ways" could cause trouble. A reporter for the Sunday Mail branded Tyler a "loveable tearaway", and quipped "as one might expect, Tyler shilling for the cops in an attempt to nab Dimato has not gone down well." During a feature on the Brennan brothers, Claire Crick from All About Soap commented "if you prefer the bad-boy vibe and like to be kept on your toes, Tyler's definitely your perfect match".

References

External links
Tyler Brennan at the Official Neighbours website

Neighbours characters
Television characters introduced in 2015
Fictional mechanics
Fictional white-collar criminals
Fictional bartenders
Fictional prisoners and detainees
Male characters in television
Fictional criminals in soap operas