Chris Carmack first gained attention with a starring role on the 2003 teen drama The O.C., but it was another soap opera that launched his musical career. Carmack joined the cast of the prime-time melodrama Nashville in 2012 and through his role as Will Lexington -- an aspiring country singer who eventually comes out of the closet, being that rarest of things: an openly gay country singer in Nashville -- he eased into a musical career, releasing his debut EP, Pieces of You, in 2015.

It was a long road to music for Carmack. Born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Derwood, Maryland, he attended New York University for a while before leaving to pursue a career as a model. Two years of modeling in New York City led to a move to Los Angeles to try his hand at acting, and he landed a spot as the jock Luke on The O.C. in 2003. He left the series after a season and continued to work steadily, bouncing between film and television, earning longer runs on the 2005 series Beach Girls and Related, but he didn't get a regular starring role until 2013, when he was cast as Will Lexington on Nashville. He had songs on the soundtracks for Seasons 2 and 3 -- the former produced the single "What If I Was Willing" -- and in 2015, he released a solo EP called Pieces of You. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi