Trivia

Was living in a homeless shelter and on the streets of East L.A., for the past five years recovering from a series of strokes and crack addiction.

Norman Lear told Eric Monte about a show called "Steptoe and Son" (Sanford and Son) an all white show, to be created shortly after All In The Family took off into stardom. Eric Monte told Norman Lear the show should star Redd Foxx, at the time, Norman Lear had no idea who Redd Foxx was and was insistent upon creating the show with an all white cast- months later, subsequently, Redd Foxx was cast in the show and Eric Monte did not receive credit until he successfully sued Norman Lear in 1977 for stealing his ideas to create the show Sanford and Son, The Jeffersons, Good Times, and several others.

According to an interview he gave to NPR in July 2006, Monte currently lives in a Los Angeles Salvation Army shelter, where he still writes movie and TV pitches. In the same interview, he said that after nearly every episode of "Good Times," the network notes contained the same request: get rid of the father, since they thought that a strong black male character did not work in a sitcom.

According to Eric Monte, it was his long-time friend Mike Evans, who he went to community college with, who gave him his big start in writing while Evans was guest starring on All In The Family. Soon afterwards, Mike Evans and Eric Monte would create a critically acclaimed sitcom called Good Times.

Formed a writing partnership with Mike Evans, who played black neighbor Lionel Jefferson in "All in the Family" and together they came up with and created "Good Times." They supposedly rebelled against Lear, who wanted to write the father out of the show and embellish the stereotypical J.J. character.

Contrary to popular belief, Eric Monte created the characters George And Louise Jefferson not Norman Lear.

Monte sued Lear, along with CBS and ABC, in 1977 for stealing his ideas for "Good Times", "The Jeffersons" and "What's Happening!" and won a one million dollar settlement.

Grew up in the Cabrini Green housing projects in Chicago and based the Evans family's home on his experiences there.

Created George and Louise Jefferson for the the TV show "All in the Family."

Was one of the hottest young writers in Hollywood in the 1970s. He was a driving force behind the socially-conscious sitcoms produced by Norman Lear, which included "All in the Family", "Maude" and "Good Times".

He dropped out of high school and hitchhiked to L.A. in the mid-60s, where he "hoboed" and hung with hippies, eventually signing signed up for a playwriting class at Los Angeles City College and producing his first play, "If They Come Back", about a group of young leaders after the civil rights movement.

Currently resides in Portland, Oregon [October 2017].

Lives in Chicago, Illinois (January 2008)

Is a playwright, television writer and producer, screen writer, and book author.

Brother of Judy Howze.