"My clients call me a 'hair wizard,' he says.

See?

Daniel, 31, also has something most stylists do not: budding TV fame. He's a contestant on Bravo's "Shear Genius" (Wednesdays, 8 p.m.), a reality series hosted by Jaclyn Smith in which 12 stylists compete for $100,000. Daniel was one of eight remaining contestants entering tomorrow night's Episode 4.

It all started when the Hair Wizard, I mean Tyson, attended a casting call for the show last fall in L.A. After showing casting directors his résumé, which includes owning a self-titled Salt Lake salon for seven years, Daniel survived a callback at which he was asked such nonhair-related questions as, "What's your favorite pizza?"

Each episode of "Sheer Genius" pits contestants against each other in hair-cutting and styling challenges. To heighten the pressure, rival stylists also share a house during filming, which wrapped weeks ago.

"It was definitely the most intense experience I've ever had in my life," says Daniel, whose mother, Fauntelle Young, owns the Fauntelle salon in Salt Lake's Sugar House neighborhood. "You know that millions of people are watching you."

So how'd he do? Daniel can't say, of course. A Bravo publicist even eavesdropped on our phone chat to make sure he didn't blab too much. (He didn't.) Instead, Daniels plugged Jaclyn Smith ("she's adorable"), his Web site (www.tysondaniel. com) and, well, himself. Sample quote: "Tyson wants you to love your hair every day."

I want to love my hair every day, too, Tyson. I really do.

Tyson's TV success is the talk of his mom's salon, where clients root for him to survive each week. "I've always known how talented he is. And I'm excited to have everyone else see it, too," Fauntelle says. She and other Tyson boosters gather each Wednesday night at the Gateway's Butterfly lounge to watch "Shear Genius" and cheer him on.

"Everyone's invited!" she says.

Hear that, Utah?

griggs@sltrib.com