The original group was a trio "Anderson, Williams, and Walker", formed in the mid-20s, and were not actually brothers even from the start. The name was changed to "The Step Brothers" when a fourth dancer was added a few years later. Founding members included Al Williams and Maceo Anderson, who were mainstays of the group throughout its existence. The group specialized in "flash" tap - fast footwork including acrobatic stunts, and the act often had the form of a street 'challenge', with each dancer in turn taking a solo and trying to outdo the others. They started out performing at Harlem's Cotton Club with the Duke Ellington Orchestra. From there they went on to vaudeville and nightclub work, appearing in nightclubs throughout the U.S. and also touring abroad.The group continued working through the mid 1960s. The personnel changed over the years, sometimes including singers; among the dancers that joined the group were "Sunshine Sammy" Ernest Morrison, Red Gordon, Sherman Robinson, Happy ?, Sylvester Johnson, Freddie James, and in the final years Prince C. Spencer and "Flash" Rufus L. McDonald.