Celebrity Nooz: Ralph Carter

Ralph Carter (Actor) - Good Times

Updated: 3/25/20

Name: Ralph Carter

Birth Name: Ralph David Carter

Born: May 30, 1961 in New York City, New York, USA

Claim To Fame: Ralph Carter is an American actor and singer best remembered for his role as Michael Evans, the youngest child of the Evans family, on the CBS sitcom Good Times (1974-1979).

Family Life: Ralph Carter has been married to River York since 1994; the couple has two daughters and a son together. He also has two sons from his previous marriage to Lisa Parks, which lasted from 1987 to 1992.

Info: Carter started on Broadway at just nine years old in the musical The Me Nobody Knows.

After runs in Tough To Get Help, Dude and Via Galactica, he landed his breakout role as Travis Younger in the Broadway musical Raisin, based on the Lorraine Hansberry drama A Raisin in the Sun. For which, he won the 1973 Drama Desk Award for Most Promising Performer as well as the 1974 Theatre World Award, and a nomination for the 1974 Tony Award in the category for Best Supporting or Featured Actor in a Musical.

Carter's success in Raisin brought him to the attention of Norman Lear (All in the Family, Sanford and Son, and Maude), who bought out the remainder of his Broadway contract to cast him as the first original character of Good Times, James and Florida's youngest son, Michael. Good Times was a spin off of Maude; Esther Rolle played Maude's housekeeper, Florida Evans, on the show and John Amos, who had also appeared on Maude as Florida's husband, Henry, was renamed James for Good Times.

Like other TV child stars, Ralph's on-camera career fell away after his popular show's cancellation, unable to transition into adult roles.

Had an 80s singing nightclub act and performed mainly as a baritone balladeer performing in such NY clubs as Sweetwater's.

In 2005, he appeared in the cast of "Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death" for the Classical Theatre of Harlem company.

Trivia: Was nominated for Broadway's 1974 Tony Award as Best Supporting or Featured Actor (Musical) for "Raisin."

At the height of his Good Times run, Carter was groomed for teen-idol singing status.

Mercury Records produced Carter's one and only release -- the 1976 "Young And In Love", and performed it on Soul Train.

Ralph's two singles were "Extra Extra (Read All About it)" and "When You're Young And In Love" which charted at No. 10 and No. 12 respectively.

He also sang on a couple of episodes of Good Times.

He released a single called "Get it Right" in 1985.

Reunited with Good Times co-star John Amos on the stage for the production of 'Pass is the Pass' by Richard Wesley in 1989.

In 2006, Carter appeared at the BET Awards in a mini-"Good Times" reunion, joining former cast members Jimmie Walker (J.J.), BernNadette Stanis (Thelma) and Janet Jackson (Penny).

Where Are They Now: It would appear that Carter has retired from a career in entertainment, but you never know when a resurgence is right around the corner. He currently resides in New York City.

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