The dance trio was protégés of Maceo Anderson of the original Four Step Brothers. At age nine, Criner toured with the Step Brothers and co-starred with Donald O'Connor for two years as a solo performe
...
r. As a favor, Maceo Anderson asked the veteran twelve year old, Criner, if he would form a dance group with Ivery Wheeler, Cindy Notz (Jones), Lonnie Ward (Anderson's actual grandson), and Jeffrey Hull; he agreed. The group was named The Four Steps and a Miss.
However, Donald O'Conner would not agree to paying the newly formed group and insisted that he just wanted to continue working with the precocious acrobatic dancer, Criner. In a shrewd move, Anderson told O'Connor that he would only get Terry if he accepted the entire group. Over the subsequent seven years, the group worked with O'Connor, but Criner kept his solo spots with O'Connor until age sixteen.
The Four Steps and a Miss group's personnel changed several times. Lonnie Ward and Jeffrey Hull quit the group and were replaced by Andre Delaroche and Tim Sercy, who only performed with group for a year, each. By 1974, the group settled with the final three members until in 1977, when Searcy joined the group of tappers. The group was ultimately renamed the Third Generation Steps by Comedian and impressionist, George Kirby.
The Step Brothers' family of dancers consisted of the original Four Step Brothers, The Little Steps and the Third Generation Steps. Although Criner had a cameo spot with the original dance quartet, he ultimately became the final stepper to work with the original group. Terry Criner retired to serve in ministry in 1979 at the age of 21. The group was never able to replace Criner. After repeated attempts, the group was ultimately retired.
Of the remaining original Third Generation Steps members, Wheeler continues to perform and teach tap. Cindy Notz Jones, now deceased, settled into marriage life and church. Maceo Anderson became an ordained elder and ministered to the homeless in Las Vegas, Nevada at Criner's church and lived with the Criner Family for seven years before relocating to Los Angeles, California where he passed at age ninty. Bishop Dr. Terry Criner continues in ministry to date.