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Web lights up with well-wishes for Clarence Clemons

Springsteen said his "beloved comrade" would need "much care and support to achieve his potential once again." The songwriter painted a bedside picture filled with top doctors and concerned family and friends all hopeful for a miracle. The E Street Band lost longtime keyboardist Danny Federici in 2008.

The news lit up the Web like a brush fire. Springsteen's Facebook page registered almost 1,000 get-well wishes within the hour he posted his statement. Clemons' own site, clarenceclemons.com, crashed after his family invited get-well e-mails.

Lady Gaga , whose new song The Edge of Glory features Clemons, helped fan the heartfelt flames by encouraging her followers to make get-well videos for "my very close friend + musician." Tom Morello , guitarist for Rage Against the Machine , tweeted his best wishes for Clemons, "A BAAAD man and a sweet soul," and actress Angie Harmon tweeted, "Healing thoughts & prayers."

Christopher Phillips, editor of Backstreets.com, news site of the long-running magazine devoted to Springsteen, calls the global fan response to Clemons' stroke "immediate and full-scale."

"Clarence holds a particularly special place in everybody's heart," he says. The sax player "has always been such a positive presence, a positive force, (that) I think people want to give that back."

Clemons, 69, has been a presence in Springsteen's band since its ragtag beginnings on the New Jersey shore in 1971, appearing on all of the band's albums. His yin to Springsteen's yang is best exemplified by the Born to Run album cover that featured a skinny white kid shoulder to shoulder with a towering African-American, both grinning like musical imps.

"Clarence brought a very strong sense of soul to the E Street Band," says Robert Santelli, executive director of the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles and author of 2006's Greetings from E Street: The Story of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band .

"When you think of the Big Man and what Bruce did to spotlight his size and stature, he's almost a mythical figure," Santelli says. "In those marathon shows back in the day, the way he and Bruce interacted had a special synergy that's difficult or impossible to reproduce with anyone else."

Santelli says medical problems have taken a toll on Clemons in recent years, including the replacement of both knees.

Look-Alikes Add Exuberant Energy to Hemingway Days - Florida Keys ...

KEY WEST, Florida Keys — Each July, the island where Ernest Hemingway lived throughout the 1930s welcomes approximately 125 stocky, white-bearded aspiring "Ernests" to compete in Sloppy Joe's "Papa" Hemingway Look-Alike Contest.

Set for Thursday through Saturday, July 21-23, the contest takes place at Sloppy Joe's Bar, 201 Duval St., where Ernest Hemingway often enjoyed cocktails with cohorts. The event is a highlight of the annual Hemingway Days celebration of the legendary author's literary prowess and colorful lifestyle.

Look-alike contestants come from around the United States and international locales to vie for the title of "Papa." Most dress in khaki safari garb or wool fishermen's sweaters reminiscent of Ernest's attire.

Preliminary rounds are set for 6:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, July 21 and 22, with the finals at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Previous contest winners, including 2010's Charles Bicht of Vero Beach, Fla., and honorary judge Cristen Hemingway Jaynes are to judge the Hemingway hopefuls.

Before Thursday's preliminary round, the "Papas" are to celebrate the 112th anniversary of Hemingway's July 21 birth and announce the recipients of the Hemingway Look-Alike Society's scholarships.

Other look-alike highlights include Sloppy Joe's "Running of the Bulls," inspired by the world-renowned event in Pamplona, Spain, but featuring man-made bulls. Preceded by a photo opportunity for "Papa-razzi" at noon, the extravaganza begins at 1 p.m. Saturday outside Sloppy Joe's.

In addition, the bearded brethren stage a Wednesday evening welcome party for contestants and fans at the Doubletree Grand Key Resort, 3990 S. Roosevelt Blvd., and a catch-and release "fish-off" with traditional handlines Friday, July 22, dockside at the Conch Republic Seafood Co. at 631 Greene St.

Many "Papas" also prove their strength in Sloppy Joe's annual arm-wrestling championship. Registration is set for noon Sunday, July 24, with the contest following at 12:30 p.m.

Event information: www.sloppyjoes.com and www.hemingwaydays.net
Key West visitor information: 1-800-LAST-KEY or www.fla-keys.

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