Teen singers try out new key -- to city of Tampa

The mayor honors rising stars PYT, fresh from touring with 'N Sync and Britney Spears.

Tampa Mayor Dick Greco presents a key to members of PYT -- Ashley Niven, left, Tracy Williams, Lydia Bell and Lauren Mayhew. [Times photo: Cherie Diez]

By JACKIE RIPLEY

© St. Petersburg Times, published October 14, 1999

TAMPA -- Thank heaven for little girls. That was the sentiment from Tampa Mayor Dick Greco on Wednesday night after he presented the key to the city to four hometown teens rocketing up the record charts and known to their fans as PYT.

"This is the first time we've given the key to anyone so young," said Greco as the quartet broke into Something More Beautiful, their first single.

PYT, which stands for Pretty Young Things, just returned from a whirlwind national tour with 'N Sync and Britney Spears only to start packing their bags for a trip to Los Angeles to tape their first video.

"This is just the beginning," said PYT's manager, Polsia Ryder. "This is the beginning of something big."

Greco presented the key during a grand opening ceremony of the Hilton Garden Inn on E Ninth Avenue in Ybor City. As hundreds watched, the teens, decked out in pink vests and gray leather pants, mesmerized the crowd with their own brand of innocent, yet sultry, song and dance.

"I felt really proud to take the key from the mayor," said Lydia Bell, one-fourth of the group industry officials predict will follow in the footsteps of teen idols like the Back Street Boys and En Vogue.

Six months ago Lydia, Lauren Mayhew, Ashley Niven and Tracy Williams -- all 13 except for Ashley, who just turned 14 -- were just longtime friends in an all-girl Tampa troupe called Entertainment Revue. Until, that is, they decided to enter a contest in hopes of getting a recording contract. And in the stuff that dreams are made of, they landed a Sony record deal, a major manager and three months of opening for 'N Sync and Britney Spears.

"Performing is the best part," said Lauren. "The tour was so incredibly fantastic, there were thousands of people."

So how is home life, when they are home?

"I tell her, "I don't care what magazines you're in, you're still just Ashley to me,' " said Ashley's mother, Lisa Niven.

Darting in and out of the crowd, the girls posed for pictures, signed autographs and seemed still to be in awe of their new fame.

"We didn't know what to expect, and it went so far beyond our expectations," Tracy said.

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