The girls of PYT, from left, Ashley Niven, Lauren Mayhew, Tracy Williams and Lydia Bell, point in the direction their young pop careers appear to be heading during a show in Holmdel, N.J. The band, in the midst of its debut tour, opened for 'N Sync this night in July. [Times photos: Cherie Diez]

Like, wow

If these four 13-year-olds from Tampa had gazed into a crystal ball six months ago, they probably would have fainted. A deal with Sony? Opening for 'N Sync and Britney Spears? No way!

By DAVE SCHEIBER

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 1, 1999

LONG ISLAND, N.Y. -- The sleek tour bus is barreling down the Long Island Expressway with a beefy guy named Buddy at the wheel.

He has hauled such high-decibel acts as Poison and Molly Hatchet, transported old rocker Joe Cocker, and been the front-seat man for the Backstreet Boys.

But this is the first time his musical passengers have painted his fingernails yellow when he was snoozing on a break.

Then again, this is the first time Buddy Simpson has ever driven a pop quartet of bubbly 13-year-o

Pam Sommer, 13, attending her first concert cheers as P.Y.T. is introduced at the New Jersey show.

ld females. From town to town during the past three weeks, they have fueled the luxury bus with a high-test blend of girl power, "oh, my gosh!" giggles -- and a storyline more improbable than anything Reuben Kincaid ever faced on The Partridge Family.

They are PYT, short for Pretty Young Things. Made up of four middle schoolers from Tampa, they are racing through the fast lane of the record business at a pace their own label calls unprecedented.

Consider that only six months ago, PYT was NYT (Not Yet Together).

The singers -- Lydia Bell, Lauren Mayhew, Ashley Niven and Tracy Williams -- were just longtime friends in an all-girls Tampa performance troupe called Entertainment Revue.

Less than two months ago, they had already landed a Sony record deal through a sequence of events about as likely as winning the Florida lottery. But they had never performed in public as PYT

Then, Sony paired them up with teen-music king Johnny Wright, who manages mega-hot youth acts 'N Sync and Britney Spears and once handled the Backstreet Boys and New Kids on the Block.

"The girls came into my office and within five minutes, they had just overwhelmed me," says Wright, based in Orlando. "They had personality and natural talent and chemistry. Normally, an act that's been together for a short time doesn't have that kind of charisma."

Wright liked that they had grown up as pals, been well-trained in Tampa and had formed their own group. So in late June, going on a gut feeling, he added them to his big-bucks, 32-city tour headlined by 'N Sync, and featuring an array of other established performers (like Ex-New Kid Jordan Knight and the Sugar Hill Gang) and up-and-comers (Mandy Moore, Tray D and MTV VJ Jessie).

In a scene repeated after all of their performances, the girls of P.Y.T. sign autographs, talk to new fans and hand out song samplers and photos. Here, Lauren passes a picture to ayoung fan. Proud dad Dr. David Mayhew, takes video of his daughter and her throng.

Since July 7, PYT has been bounding onto a secondary "training grounds" stage as part of the opening act lineup for 'N Sync's splashy show in the eastern United States. Friday, well ahead of schedule, they moved onto the main stage in the West as an opener on the glitzy Britney Spears tour.

All the while, the foursome has been blazing new ground. They are the first 13-year-old girl group in the safer and more innocent "kiddie-pop" marketplace that is dominating the music scene after years of angst-ridden, sex-heavy songs from MTV bands and the violence of gangsta rap.

Lauren

They represent a concerted effort by Sony and Wright to connect with preteen girls -- in addition to older teens -- who flood concerts by 'N Sync, Spears and others and buy their CDs in droves.

"The good thing about these girls is that they can sell to 8-year-olds, but also to 20-year-olds," says the man who signed them, David McPherson, senior vice president for artists and repertoire for Urban Music at Sony's Epic Records. "We wanted to get them out in public quickly, because this is a quick market. These girls have a lot of talent, and now it's just a matter of them fine-tuning their skills."

In the spotlight

On a recent Friday, P.Y.T. steps off the bus into the jammed Jones Beach Amphitheater parking lot with the group's mini-entourage. All are new to this -- the girls; Lydia's and Ashley's moms, Sandra Cabreras and Lisa Niven; makeup artist Angela Bax; and urban music vet turned road manager Terry Lynn.

"I never thought I'd turn 40 on a pop tour with young kids," quips Niven

In no time, the group has rolled through a 5 p.m. sound check, and an hour later, after backstage hugs from Johnny Wright, PYT strides onto a small stage in the 98-degree heat. They wear white pants and red or blue tops -- a sporty look designed to emphasize their youth. Instantly, the group faces an eager mob of mostly teenage girls with parents in tow. Perhaps a thousand fill the courtyard adjacent to the 20,0

Lydia

00-seat main stage, where 'N Sync will perform in three hours. Make no mistake: That is who the sellout crowd has come to see, but within moments, many fans are screaming, clapping and going 'n sane for PYT

With a pounding R&B/pop-tinged beat from the backing track -- like many teen groups, they sing to taped music -- the girls launch into their three-song set with smooth harmonies reminiscent of En Vogue. The tunes feature mostly gentle, romantic themes, like taking things slow. The numbers Sony has chosen are crafted by some of the top songwriters of teen fare, including a production team flown in from Sweden that helped record the girls in Florida.

As with most teen acts, there's usually one edgier tune. The opening song, DFW (Down For Whatever) seems to be it, working "PYT" into lyrics about "me and my girls chillin' " and up for some fun.

The dancing is meticulously choreographed with twists, struts and pointing to the crowd. The girls pull all the steps off artfully as their voices soar in a powerful, four-part blend. They lock into the audience with non-stop smiles and cheery eye contact.

"Hi, everybody! I'm Lydia! The next song we're gonna sing for you is called Walk Before We Run!"

"What's up, Long Island? My name's Ashley!"

Tracy

"What's going on? My name's Traaa-ceeeeee!"

"Hey, how you guys doing out there? I'm Lauren. I have one question to ask you: Are you guys ready for 'N Synnnccc?!"

The screams spill into the second number, and by the time PYT has launched into Something More Beautiful -- its first single, due out on Aug. 17 -- it has won over a new audience. Girls wave and sing along to the chorus, then swarm a nearby booth for the next two-plus hours as the PYT girls sign endless autographs, pass out color photos and sampler tapes of their debut CD, due out around Christmas, and give away circular decals promoting their in-progress Web site (http://www.pytfanclub.com).

"I think they're great, and they're really nice!" says one fan, Jessica Laifer, 13, of Alpine, N.J. "It's fun to see singers that young be so good."

A whole new world

For Lydia, Lauren, Ashley and Tracy, the fun comes from waking up each morning and living out a Disney-esque fantasy on the heartthrob circuit.

To put it in perspective, they were screaming spectators with their moms when 'N Sync performed at Tampa's Ice Palace in mid-May. In mid-July, they were shooting baskets with Justin, Joey, Lance, J.C. and Chris -- the guys who've launched a million shrieks -- on a special 'N Sync backstage hoop before the shows

When they watched 'N Sync perform this time, it was from a V.I.P. scaffolding off to one side of the stage, where they were personally escorted by Johnny Wright.

On the bus, they often curl up in their bunks, chatting with family and friends in Tampa on C-phones their parents have bought them. Sometimes they watch movies in the ba

Ashley

ck, cuddling with the crib blanket and pillow Lauren's grandmother made her when she was born.

To make the time pass, the girls watch videos and listen to music in a cozy wood-paneled room in the back. All assumed they would live entirely on board; they couldn't believe it when they learned that big hotels awaited them at each stop.

Mornings usually include a hotel breakfast buffet, and a swim and brisk workout to keep in top aerobic shape for dancing and singing. The girls often break out in four-part harmony -- from the hotel gym to the elevators -- and curious passers-by smile at the free show.

Their schedule these days overflows with rehearsals, resting, riding to the next venue, or training for the many press interviews that lie ahead. Not that they need much help on that front. Outgoing and friendly, they never seem at a loss for words.

Eighth grade is only weeks away, so there's a looming issue of returning to school (Berkeley Prep for Lauren, St. Mary's Episcopal for Tracy and Orange Grove for Lydia and Ashley) when the tour ends Sept. 5. But a tutor plans to join PYT in two weeks -- just in case new touring spills into the semester.

To fully appreciate how much the girls' lives have changed, it helps to know where they come from.

All the PYT members have loved to sing since they were toddlers. The turning point came when they joined Entertainment Revue, run by Cynthia Gries, wife of ex-Tampa Bay Storm owner Bob Gries.

Gries' company is geared toward professional performances, staging up to 60 full musical productions a year with 22 girls. Another 25 are in a training group. Some 160 girls between the ages of 5 and 17 audition for roughly 10 new openings a year in the company, which offers specialized instruction for $75 a month (scholarships are available). Those who make it rehearse four hours on Saturdays and Sundays for shows at conventions, special events and pro sports events.

One result is many hours on stage instead of at the movies, mall or beach, and parents constantly driving to and from rehearsals and auditions. The other is an impressive amount of professional experience from a young age.

Lauren, for instance, started with Gries at 4, and went on to earn a recurring role on the CBS soap The Guiding Light. Lydia and Tracy have sung and acted in professional theater since early childhood, joining Gries' company at 6 and 7. Both are aces at performing the national anthem at pro games throughout Florida. Ashley joined the revue after meeting Tracy in a production of Annie several years ago. She has sung at Busch Gardens and for the late Gov. Lawton Chiles.

"Every one of these kids has this spark and energy and heart," says Gries. "At an audition, the one thing you can't measure is heart. You only learn that after years, and these kids all have it."

Gries says that none of the PYT parents have ever pushed their kids to perform. The kids themselves have always been the driving force.

"Since the age of 5, they have been making the choices to get up on Saturday morning to go to rehearsal, many times instead of going to a birthday party," she says. "They seem to have a passion for music and what they're doing that propels them toward greatness. I don't think it's that they're born more talented than maybe other kids, but they have that combination and an almost need to be on stage and to do this."

The girls and their parents echo the sentiment.

"The best part of this record deal is performing," says Lauren. "It's a dream come true for us."

"I've had parents comment that "I can't believe you're letting your 13-year-olds do this,' " Lisa Niven adds. "But if their 13-year-old won some athletic scholarship to go to Europe for the summer to practice soccer, they would probably send them. How is this any different? People have this notion that this is a bad thing. And I guess it could be a bad thing if the parents weren't involved and didn't stay involved. But we're here."

As the girls pull into their next concert gig on Long Island on July 16, Ashley, left, notices a tent set up for an after-show party as Lauren, Lydia and Tracy watch a video on the the tour bus. The girls are cozy under Lauren's crib pillow and blanket, made by Lauren's grandmother. "It smells like home," says Lauren, who takes the blanket on all her trips.

Lauren's parents, Tampa orthopedic surgeon David Mayhew and his wife Sharon, attended all four sold-out shows at Jones Beach. The Mayhews made the drive from their apartment in New York City, where they stay with Lauren when she tapes for TV.

"We always have two mothers at all times and that gives the kids security," says Sharon, who, like most of the PYT moms, are homemakers who have devoted themselves to helping the girls pursue their goals, in addition to caring for the needs of their other kids. (Sandra Cabreras is a teacher's aid who works with special needs children in the Hillsborough County school system).

"You worry at every stage," adds David Mayhew, "but we feel very comfortable with the people around them, and a nice thing is all of them have C-phones so they can call us anytime and we can call them."

The C-phones have been the main link to the adults who can't always be there -- like Lydia's father Irineo Cabreras, a Tampa carpenter; Ashley's dad, Dale Niven, owner of Bay City Produce; and Stacy's parents, Will Williams, an insurance attorney, and his wife, June. But even C-phones aren't foolproof.

"Tracy's doesn't transmit well when she's talking on the bus, and we're having to talk real loud, and I miss things she says and I'd like to jump through the roof sometimes because I crave conversations with her," Will Williams says.

"Everything you hear about the entertainment industry kind of puts a scare into you," he adds. "You think, "My daughter is a thousand miles from me, and she's never lived a minute from me before.' But I'm not as apprehensive about the whole thing as I was at first. I feel comfortable that the mothers are there."

He also feels assured by the tour management. The other night, Tracy called to say that there was a big going-away bash for everyone leaving the 'N Sync tour, but PYT couldn't attend because it was for ages 16 and up. "I looked at my wife," says Williams, "and I went "Yes!' "

From a contest to a contract

"Without our parents' support," says Lydia, "we wouldn't be here."

Nor would they be here if Lydia hadn't slept over at Tracy's in January. They were scanning Teen magazine and saw an ad for a singing contest, promising a spot on a record

"It said "Become a pop diva' and I'm like, "Oh, my gosh!' It just gave us the idea of putting a group together," says Tracy.

So they called Lauren and Ashley and asked them if they wanted to form a group, then begged Gries to help them record a demo to enter in the contest. Gries had spent the previous year and considerable money working to develop and promote an older teen-girl group, FLA. She had made contact with a national record producer, but pulled the plug when she thought one of the parents became too pushy.

Gries finally gave in to the 13-year-olds' pleas and helped them go into a local studio and record a song she had written. They mailed the tape just before the deadline, filled with hopes of being on a record.

The very next day, by sheer coincidence, Gries got a call from Los Angeles. It was the record producer, Max Gousse, whom she had once contacted about the older girls. He was in the market for a teen girl act for Sony and wanted to see FLA. She said she no longer had that group, but was just in the studio with a new group. She assumed Gousse would balk at their age, but he was intrigued.

Gries overnighted a copy of the demo, and e-mailed him a photo of the group, then named Glory. Within days, Sony exec David McPherson and Gousse flew to the Peabody hotel in Orlando to audition the act. The girls were nervous, especially when McPherson forgot his room key and suggested the audition be held in their room. "Oh, my gosh! Our room was a total, complete mess and we had just ordered room service, so like there's food all over the room, and our clothes are everywhere!" Lydia says.

The girls told him to wait outside, then did a frantic clean-up, tossing everything under the beds. Finally, they sang -- first as a group, then individually. McPherson revealed no emotion. He talked for 20 minutes about how hard the business is, and that it might be too much for a 13-year-old.

"We thought he hated us," says Ashley. "We were like, well, let's move onto another record company."

Tracy, however, spoke up.

"I will never forget this," says Gries, recounting what she believes was the pivotal moment in the meeting. "Tracy looked him squarely in the eyes and said, "But Mr. McPherson, you don't know us. My entire life, this is all I've thought about. I lay in my bed and I dream about this. And I've been doing this kind of thing, and I've made sacrifices.'

"Then she said, "We're ready.' "

One day later, a Sunday morning, McPherson telephoned from Manhattan. He wanted to sign them. It was an unforgettable moment of disbelief and delirious joy. The girls pulled out of the song contest and the next thing they knew, they were spending weekends at a Sanford studio working on their debut album. They also had a new name, courtesy of the label: Pretty Young Things, tied to a Michael Jackson song.

Working on the album was exciting, but it didn't mean fame was on the way. Groups cut albums all the time that labels never release. The girls hardly mentioned the record deal to classmates, knowing it might amount to nothing but great experience.

Any doubts disappeared in mid-June. During a recording break, Lauren and Tracy had sneaked down a hallway to get a glimpse of Britney Spears rehearsing her dancing. Just then, they saw Johnny Wright turning the corner. "We started running away," says Lauren. "We thought he'd be mad. But he was like, "Girls, girls, come back.' "

Wright hinted he had some news. They begged him to tell them. So he did. They were going on tour with 'N Sync. "Oh my gossssssh!! We ran back and told Ashley and Lydia, and we're all freaking out," says Lauren. "Then we told our parents, and they'd known for a day! It was like, one minute we're signed, the next minute we're on tour with 'N Sync!!"

Things are still being worked out on the fly -- like PYT's stage image. Label, management and parents agree that the girls should not look older than they are. "We're not doing anything that's not modest, they're only 13," says Lisa Niven. "The (the label) wants to market the fact that they're 13, so they they have to look like that. As they get older, they'll have a sense of style of their own, and know what's acceptable to them or not."

Meanwhile, PYT is rolling along P.D.Q., and loving every minute of the ride.

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