P.Y.T. (band)
Encyclopedia
PYT was a Florida-based girl group
in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
teenagers - Lauren Mayhew , Ashley Niven, Lydia Bell, Tracy Williams - had all been childhood friends. They had previously performed together in the Tampa Bay's Entertainment Revue (through Busch Gardens
). The band formed, as Glory, to enter a contest in Teen People magazine. They recorded a demo which instead of entering in the contest made its way to Dave McPherson of Epic Records who signed to a record contract in 1999. The band was renamed P.Y.T. derived from a Michael Jackson
song entitled "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
," though on some occasions the girls used the acronym "P.Y.T." to stand for the slogan "Prove Yourself True." Among the members of the group, Tracy Williams was the alto and sang lower harmonies, Lauren Mayhew and Ashley Niven were mezzo-soprano
s and sang the melody line, and Lydia Bell was the soprano
who sang higher harmonies. Ashley Niven was the lead vocalist on the tracks on the album PYT (Down With Me).
, Britney Spears
and Destiny's Child
and 98 Degrees
and performed at a Super Bowl
pre match show. They have had their music used in the films Center Stage and Miss Congeniality and on TV on the soap opera Guiding Light
. They released their delayed debut album PYT (Down With Me) in the middle of 2001.
Groupmates Lauren Mayhew and Lydia Bell formed a new group called Turning Point. Even after adding more members, the group fell apart. Mayhew decided to focus on acting and went on to host The N's teen version of Access Hollywood
-- Real Access. She has since had guest roles on television programs such as Joan of Arcadia
and American Dreams
. In films, Mayhew portrayed the role of Robin in the film Raise Your Voice
starring Hilary Duff
, and Arianna in American Pie: Band Camp
. She was the Ring Announcer from the World Wrestling Entertainment's ECW brand. Tracy Williams formed the all-girl trio UC3, which has played throughout the United States and performed for US troops overseas.
Albums
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Formation
Unlike many pop groups, P.Y.T.'s formation was not the result of scouting by a talent agency or a series of auditions - instead, these TampaTampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
teenagers - Lauren Mayhew , Ashley Niven, Lydia Bell, Tracy Williams - had all been childhood friends. They had previously performed together in the Tampa Bay's Entertainment Revue (through Busch Gardens
Busch Gardens
Busch Gardens is the name of two amusement parks in the United States, owned and operated by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, a division of Blackstone Group. One of the parks is in Williamsburg, Virginia, and the other is in Tampa, Florida...
). The band formed, as Glory, to enter a contest in Teen People magazine. They recorded a demo which instead of entering in the contest made its way to Dave McPherson of Epic Records who signed to a record contract in 1999. The band was renamed P.Y.T. derived from a Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
song entitled "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
"P.Y.T. " is a song by American recording artist Michael Jackson. The original demo version of the song was written by Jackson and Greg Phillinganes. It is the sixth single from Jackson's sixth solo album, Thriller . Quincy Jones passed on the song itself but liked the title and, with James Ingram,...
," though on some occasions the girls used the acronym "P.Y.T." to stand for the slogan "Prove Yourself True." Among the members of the group, Tracy Williams was the alto and sang lower harmonies, Lauren Mayhew and Ashley Niven were mezzo-soprano
Mezzo-soprano
A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...
s and sang the melody line, and Lydia Bell was the soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
who sang higher harmonies. Ashley Niven was the lead vocalist on the tracks on the album PYT (Down With Me).
Career
PYT has toured with 'N Sync'N Sync
N Sync was an American boy band formed in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich, *NSYNC consisted of JC Chasez, Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick...
, Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
and Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...
and 98 Degrees
98 Degrees
98 Degrees is an American adult contemporary boy band consisting of four vocalists: brothers Nick and Drew Lachey, Justin Jeffre, and Jeff Timmons. The group was formed by Timmons in Los Angeles, California....
and performed at a Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
pre match show. They have had their music used in the films Center Stage and Miss Congeniality and on TV on the soap opera Guiding Light
Guiding Light
Guiding Light is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running drama in television and radio history, running from 1937 until 2009...
. They released their delayed debut album PYT (Down With Me) in the middle of 2001.
Disbanding
The band was released by their record company in late 2001. After considering finding a new label the band disbanded soon after.Groupmates Lauren Mayhew and Lydia Bell formed a new group called Turning Point. Even after adding more members, the group fell apart. Mayhew decided to focus on acting and went on to host The N's teen version of Access Hollywood
Access Hollywood
Access Hollywood is a weekday television entertainment news program covering events and celebrities in the entertainment industry. It was created by former Entertainment Tonight executive producer Jim Van Messel, and is currently directed by Robert Silverstein. In previous years, Doug Dougherty and...
-- Real Access. She has since had guest roles on television programs such as Joan of Arcadia
Joan of Arcadia
Joan of Arcadia is an American television fantasy/family drama telling the story of teenager Joan Girardi , who sees and speaks with God and performs tasks she is given. The series originally aired on Fridays, 8-9 p.m...
and American Dreams
American Dreams
American Dreams is an American television comedy-drama program broadcast on the NBC television network, produced by Once A Frog and Dick Clark Productions in association with Universal Network Television and NBC Studios...
. In films, Mayhew portrayed the role of Robin in the film Raise Your Voice
Raise Your Voice
Raise Your Voice is a 2004 American teen musical drama film directed by Sean McNamara-Plot:Terri Fletcher , a teenager with a passion for singing, has been accepted into a music program in Los Angeles to compete for a $10,000 scholarship shortly after her brother Paul 's tragic death in a car crash...
starring Hilary Duff
Hilary Duff
Hilary Erhard Duff is an American actress, singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, and author. After working in local theater plays and television commercials in her childhood, she achieved fame playing the title role in the Disney Channel television series Lizzie McGuire. She also reprised her role in...
, and Arianna in American Pie: Band Camp
American Pie: Band Camp
#Andrew W.K. - "She Is Beautiful"#Breaking Benjamin - "Forget It"#Snow Patrol - "How To Be Dead"#Matt Nathanson - "Laid"#Treble Charger - "American Psycho"#Good Charlotte - "The Anthem"#Paul Locke - "Paul's Drums"#Jimmy Eat World - The Middle...
. She was the Ring Announcer from the World Wrestling Entertainment's ECW brand. Tracy Williams formed the all-girl trio UC3, which has played throughout the United States and performed for US troops overseas.
Discography
Singles- Something More Beautiful (1999)
- PYT (Down With Me) (2000)
- Same Ol' Same Ol' (remix) feat. SaraiSarai (rapper)Sarai Marie Howard is a female rapper.-Early life:Born and raised in upstate New York, Sarai Howard didn't exactly imagine herself as a rapper. While her single mother played Fleetwood Mac records, Sarai's older brother exposed his kid sister to the heavy, hard-knock world of hip-hop. Seminal...
(2001)
Albums
- PYT (Down With Me)PYT (Down With Me)PYT is P.Y.T. debut album. features hit single "Same Ol Same Ol" featuring rapper Sarai and minor hit "PYT ", the album features a hidden track by Sarai.-Track listing:...
(June 19, 2001)
External links
- PYT profile at HipOnLine.com
- Living the teen dream (July 4, 1999) - Article in St. Petersburg Times on band when girls were about 13 years old.