Q&A... Charlton Hill
(Newcastle Herald, March '03)

Full name: Charlton Andrew James Hill.

What gets your blood boiling?
Bad drivers. My life is in their hands and that scares me. So many people drive fast they should just chill out. I've got a big old 1973 Mercedes and I go real slow.

What would you run across the road for?
A beautiful girl. Oh yeah! I believe in living for the moment and not letting opportunities pass by.

If you could set a trend, what would it be?
Crazy clothing. I think everybody's too sedate. If you sit in a city cafe and watch all the suits go by, you just wonder why they don't funk them up a bit. Suits in the '70s were cool.

What is your favourite usage of slang?
Some of the surfing slang I grew up with is sweet. You might hear about a gnarly wipe-out but you don't really know what one is until you've had one. I had a mate who described good surf as being ``off its chops".

What fictional character most resembles you?
Astroboy. I have a friend who reckons I've got the perfect hair for the part.

What can't you live without?
Good coffee. My preferred variety is a soy cappuccino.

How do you procrastinate?
I tend to give importance to minor events or chores. I'm a great one for writing letters and never sending them. I'm a bit scatty like that. I jump on to the next thing before finishing the first.

How many roads must a man walk down?
You should walk down as many as possible to find your right road. I feel like I'm on path now but it took me a whole lot of dead ends to find it.

What's your mantra/motto/catch phrase?
Live each day as your last.

HE'S a 26-year-old singer-songwriter and surfer who grew up on Sydney's northern beaches. After spending much of 2000 travelling through Europe and the United States, Charlton Hill returned to Australia and a contract with Sony Music.

His debut album is titled Waterline, with the lead singles being Deep and 2's Company.

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