Entertainment Today

POLL: ELVIS STILL THE KING BY A LONG SHOT

On the 25th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death, Americans overwhelmingly believe he is history's greatest rock 'n roll star.

An ABCNews.com poll found 38 percent of Americans named Elvis the biggest rock 'n roll star ever, far ahead of No. 2 Jimi Hendrix who was picked by 4 percent.

Age makes a difference: 68 percent of 55- to 64-year-olds say Elvis is still The King compared to 19 percent of 18- to-34-year-olds. Even so, Elvis leads Hendrix in the younger age group by more than 2-1.

Elvis died of a drug-induced heart attack at Graceland on Aug. 16, 1977.

ICE-T TO WED COCO

Wedding plans are heating up for rapper-actor Ice-T and Coco, a 23-swimsuit model he met during a video shoot in January.

The 44-year-old "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" star recently bought a heart-shaped diamond engagement ring for Coco, whose real name is Nicole Austin. Her next photo spread will be in King magazine.

Ice-T denies claims by actress Linda Marie Sanchez he is the father of her 10-month-old son.

The 28-year-old Sanchez says a DNA test confirms Ice-T is the boy's father, and she wants 17 percent of his adjusted gross income to support the child.

MICHAEL J. FOX TO WRITE SITCOM

Four-time Emmy winner Michael J. Fox reportedly is poised to write and produce a family comedy pilot for ABC.

The Hollywood Reporter says the show will be produced by Touchstone Television and DreamWorks TV, which also did "Spin City," the series Fox starred in from 1996 to 2000.

It's not known whether the 41-year-old Fox also will be in the cast of the show, which is believed to be about a retired hockey player who spends a lot of time at home with his family.

Fox himself has been spending a great deal of time around home with his wife and four children since he left "Spin City" because of his bout with Parkinson's disease.

CHARLES M. SCHULTZ MUSEUM OPENS THIS WEEKEND

Fans of the "Peanuts" comic strip now have a place to see the history of the famed cartoonist and his characters.

The Charles M. Schultz Museum -- charlesmschulzmuseum.org -- in Santa Rosa, Calif., opens to the public Saturday with plans for special programs and activities through Sept. 2 to accommodate large crowds.

Schultz was 77 years old when he died in October 2000 after publishing Peanuts strips daily for nearly 50 years.

This week's dead celebrities earnings list compiled by Forbes magazine reported Schultz took in $28 million in the 12-month period ending in June, second only to Elvis Presley's $35 million.

THOMPSON: FROM SENATE TO TV?

Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn., may become a regular cast member of the Emmy-winning NBC drama, "Law & Order."

Thompson, who announced in March that he would not seek re-election, would play the part of the new district attorney, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

For the past two seasons, Dianne Wiest played the role of the DA supervising assistants Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) and Serena Southerlyn (Elisabeth Rohm).

Before his election to the Senate, Thompson served as an assistant U.S. attorney in Tennessee and was minority counsel on the Senate Watergate Committee.

Later he appeared in 18 motion pictures, including "Line of Fire," "Die Hard II" and "The Hunt for Red October."