Raymon Lee Cramton (June 11, 1937 – July 24, 2012), known professionally as Chad Everett, was an American actor who appeared in more than 40 films and television series. He was well known for his role as Dr. Joe Gannon in the television drama Medical Center which aired on CBS from 1969 to 1976.

Biography

Everett married actress Shelby Grant in Tucson, Arizona, on May 22, 1966. Everett was on location in Tucson filming the 1967 movie, Return of the Gunfighter, at the time of their wedding. They had two daughters, Katherine and Shannon Everett. The couple remained married for 45 years until her death after a brain aneurysm on June 25, 2011. Everett credited his family with being a stabilizing force in his life, stating that even in the worst of times, Grant "never threatened to leave. She would tell me that she was there for me. If not for my family, I would have been in big trouble.” Grant noted his romanticism; he sent her so many flowers during their courtship that "my balcony looked like a burial ground." He also often wrote sentimental poems to Grant throughout their marriage, as well as to his daughters. The couple renewed their marriage vows every seven years.

After the series Medical Center ended, Everett became frustrated when no movie roles were forthcoming and television roles were not working out. A long-time social drinker, he began drinking heavily. He was consuming a quart of vodka a day by the time he quit drinking in 1986. “I was a functional alcoholic.” Shelby noted his alcohol-related mood swings and has said, "finally I confronted him. I came into the bedroom with a big pot of coffee one morning and said 'we have a major problem to deal with here.'" A month later, Everett caught sight of himself on a video and did not like what he saw. " 'Finally,' I said, 'I am really in trouble'. I stepped outside and I looked up and said, 'Father, you take it. I can't handle it anymore.'" The next day, he told his daughters (who were living at home at the time), "I am addicted to alcohol, and I am not going away to detox. I am going to do it here so that you can see what happens to someone if you let a substance take control of you." He attended his first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting the next day and claimed he never drank again, attributing his discipline to his Christian faith and his self-pride.


Lawsuit
Beginning in 1973, actress Sheila Scott initiated court proceedings against Everett three times, claiming her son Dale (born 1973) was fathered by him. The lengthy and complicated paternity suit finally ended in 1984, when a California Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Everett. The court stated:


"From the evidence adduced, the jury concluded that Everett was not Dale's father despite the 94.67 percent probability of paternity from the HLA test“ and “In this appeal, we affirm a judgment following a jury verdict finding the defendant and respondent not to be the father of the minor child."
Everett refused to take any more tests regarding paternity. He entered into a private financial settlement with Scott in 1973, but steadfastly maintained he was not Dale's father. In 1991, Scott was sentenced to three-months probation following a guilty verdict of “harassing” Everett for 18 years, including death threats against him and his wife. She was also ordered to undergo psychological testing and to never publicly declare that Everett was Dale's father.

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