P.Y.T. is a female teen pop vocal group consisting of Lydia Bell, Lauren Mayhew, Ashley Niven, and Tracy Williams, all natives of Tampa, FL. Bell, Mayhew, and Williams met at age six when they began performing in the Tampa-based musical theater troupe Entertainment Revue; Niven joined the revue when she was nine. All four went on to careers as professional child performers: Bell and Williams appeared in many stage musicals; Mayhew was on the PBS series The Reppies and became a regular on the ABC soap opera Guiding Light; and Niven, a student at Orange Grove Performing Arts School, was a featured soloist in the school's arts program. They formed their group in the fall of 1998 and were signed to Epic Records, which released their debut single, "Something More Beautiful," in 1999, followed by "P.Y.T. (Down with Me)" in 2000. During the summer of 2000, they toured as an opening act for 'N Sync and Britney Spears, later also opening for Destiny's Child. In 2001, Epic released their single "Same Ol' Same Ol'," followed by their debut album, Down with Me. That summer, they toured as an opening act for 98. ~ William Ruhlmann
