Anna Nicole Smith | Tribute | Harrison Ford
Anna Nicole's Shrink Fired by Health Group
Here's a little more info on psychiatrist Khristine Eroshevich, friend of Anna Nicole Smith and a cameo player in the "Entertainment Tonight" video extravaganza of Smith's now-historic red carpet funeral.
Only in Los Angeles do psychiatrists suddenly pop up as best friends of their patients. It's unclear whether or not Eroshevich actually saw Smith as a patient or if she was just a hanger-on who got close to her in her later years.
This much is certain: It's Eroshevich's mug in the "ET" videos of the funeral, and all its tacky preparations. The good doctor happily gave quotes to the TV show, which sources say paid millions to Howard K. Stern for the right to have a landmark ceiling camera hovering over Smith's casket as it was rolled into the Bahamian church.
But back home, Eroshevich isn't all that popular with the other less famous people with whom she used to work.
At the Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association (LACERA), Eroshevich's professional issues cropped up right away. On July 7, 2006, the doctor was stripped of her job for failing to perform her duties properly.
From the Board of Retirement minutes:
"Recommendation to terminate the services of Board Panel Psychiatrist Khristine Eroshevich, M.D., Ph.D. (Memo dated July 7, 2006):
"Mr. [James] Castranova [the board's legal counsel] gave a brief explanation of the recommendation to terminate Dr. Eroshevich's services. It was noted that on two occasions, Dr. Eroshevich arranged for psychologists to conduct fact-to-face examination of LACERA members, which is a violation of the agreement between LACERA and Dr. Eroshevich, when only Board Certified Physicians are allowed to conduct these examinations.
"A motion was made by Mr. Russin, seconded by Mr. Chery, to approve the recommendation. The Legal Office, at the request of Mr. Russin, will review Dr. Eroshevich's invoices to ensure that charges are proper. The Legal Office will report its findings and any recommendations to the Insurance, Benefits and Legislative Committee. The motion passed with Mr. Macias abstaining."
James Castranova, whom I spoke with yesterday, confirmed that Dr. Eroshevich farmed out her duties to other shrinks in violation of her agreement.
In other words, she was sending unqualified doctors to interview members of LACERA when she was supposed to be doing the work herself.
LACERA spokesman Gregg Rademacher told me it's the first time he can remember that his organization had a physician who farmed out their job to other professionals, only to be caught later.
Calls to Eroshevich at two California offices with answering machines were not returned.
What also remains unclear is whether or not Eroshevich — who seemed to be an expert on Anna Nicole Smith on television — knew of the dead model's drug habits and those of her son, Daniel, and whether she tried to do anything about it.
Tribute to Man Who Made the Bee Gees, Bette and Norah Stars
"I feel like we're one step closer to the end of an era," Phil Collins said last night at the star-studded Lincoln Center memorial service for famed record producer Arif Mardin. "I liked that era, and I don't want it to be over."
It was a statement that was echoed in all the guests, speakers and performers at Alice Tully Hall. Mardin, 74, died last year after a quick and ugly battle with cancer. He was beloved, that's for sure. This was one memorial where every speech was heartfelt.
Mardin was the antithesis of the stereotypical record producer, as Clive Davis said in his lovely speech. No gold chains for Arif Mardin. He was an impeccable dresser, humble, polite and articulate.
Among the performers: Norah Jones, whose first two albums Mardin produced; Darryl Hall; Bette Midler; Judy Collins; and Julianna and John Jaffe.
Barry Gibb, who was slated to appear, was absent due to some family problem, but everyone else showed.
Aside from Phil Collins, there were: Felix Cavaliere; David and Eddie Brigati of the Rascals; Carly Simon with sister Lucy; promoter Ron Delsener; Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner; producers Phil Ramone and Russ Titelman; famed Atlantic Records drummer Bernard Purdee; members of the Average White Band; May Pang; a sighting of actor Tim Robbins; and dozens of un-famous people who worked at Atlantic Records in its heyday of Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Sam & Dave, as well as Led Zeppelin and Crosby, Stills and Nash.
There were record executives, too, who spoke most passionately about Mardin. Clive Davis, without notes, held the podium and recalled the friend he employed to produce tracks for Aretha Franklin and Dionne Warwick.
"He more than anyone represented us with heart, feeling, passion and nobility," Davis said of Mardin. "There was no better ambassador for us in the music world."
Ian Ralfini, who started Manhattan Records with Arif after they left Atlantic just a few years ago — and immediately hit a home run with Norah Jones — choked up reminiscing about his longtime friend.
Joel Dorn, the producer who launched Bette Midler with Mardin, said, "He was a hand-rolled Havana in a world of El Productos."
Joe Mardin, Arif's producer son, genially emceed the two-hour tribute, which everyone noted the missing subject would have loved.
To catch you up: As Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler ran Atlantic Records, it was Arif Mardin, a decade younger, who produced much of the music. He wrote the charts, the arrangements and put his imprimatur on everyone from Wilson Pickett to Judy Collins.
The latter performed "Song for Duke," her composition about Duke Ellington, a song that Mardin loved, with gorgeous simplicity, accompanying herself on the piano. Darryl Hall, with two helpers (John Oates had a cold) executed an acoustic version of "She's Gone," the one song he said was a "real collaboration" with Mardin.
Norah Jones sang "The Nearness of You" and recalled fooling around in the studio with Mardin.
"He rapped on one track like a Tasmanian devil," she said with a laugh.
Missing, oddly, was Roberta Flack, a singer Mardin really put on the map. Many of Flack's biggest hits were produced by Mardin including her landmark self-titled 1972 album with Donny Hathaway. But Bette Midler, in fine voice, came to close the show with a song called "The Perfect Kiss."
"He saved my a-- many, many times," Midler said, noting that Mardin had produced her biggest hit, "Wind Beneath My Wings."
It turns out he used that moniker for his wife, Latife, who sat in a front row and beamed as star after star thanked her late husband for their music careers.
"He elevated a lot of garbage," Midler said, citing songs she brought him with titles like "My Night in Black Leather."
She then sang "Perfect Kiss" from an album Mardin produced called "Bed of Roses." Again, the song, the performance, like all the others, was marked by a delicate simplicity in its arrangement and delivery. It was elegant. Just like Arif Mardin.
Yesterday I told you that Premiere magazine broke the story about Dakota Fanning's movie "Hounddog." In fact, Premiere had a headline-making article about the film.
But former Daily News gossip column Lloyd Grove says he broke the story first, and Premiere insiders concur.
Lloyd, congrats. This and two bucks will get you on the subway.
Tickets are almost sold out for Garland Jeffreys' rare show at the Bitter End in New York this Friday. There may be a few left at www.ticketweb.com.
And my sources at the Dakota say Leonard Bernstein's former apartment — controlled all these years by his estate — has been sold, but not to Tom Cruise under any name. They cite the potential chaos of fans and paparazzi as reasons Cruise would be turned down anyway.
Recently rejected, they say: Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas.
But seen looking at an apartment not too long ago: Harrison Ford.
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