Assist Paul Tracey Rebuild His House in Pacific Palisades

Here is the Go Fund Me page for Paul and Sue Tracey.

Paul Tracey is the surviving son of Hugh Tracey, the man who brought the world the “Hugh Tracey Kalimba” starting in 1954.

I met Paul in November 2005 when I started Kalimba Magic. We split an order of kalimbas. I flew out to LA, rented a car, and met Paul at the Airport, where we loaded the kalimba cargo into our respective vehicles. I saw right away that his car had the California plate “KALIMBA”. Apparently, both he and Maurice White applied for the “KALIMBA” plate in California in the same year – lets say 1971 or 1972, about when Earth Wind and Fire landed in California, and about when Paul Tracey ended his 7 years of performing around the world with his brother Andrew in the Broadway musical “Wait a Minim”. Paul rolled his money from “Wait a Minim” into a modest house in Pacific Palisades, and had been living there ever since.

Paul Tracey and Maurice White aired their respective claims to the “KALIMBA” plate to a judge. Some would have guessed that the man who did the most to POPULARIZE the kalimba through his rock concerts and kalimba songs would have won. But no, the son of Hugh Tracey got the plate.

In 2005, after Paul and I got the kalimbas split up and loaded, Paul welcomed me into his home in Pacific Palisades. It was filled with musical instruments and artwork from Africa. Paul had one room filled with kalimbas, guitars, drums, and sound equipment. From a ceiling beam hung eight pieces of paper with words in large format marker ink, indicating exactly which parts are required for each of eight different shows (music from around the world; music from Africa; music of the kalimba). A door out from this room exited the house at exactly the same level as his van with sliding door open.    He averaged about five shows a week, and was well paid. He was a well-known guy in the pop culture scene, having  been on the Tonight Show a number of times. And he sold kalimbas on the side at his world music performances.

But all of that is gone. The devastating fire in the Pacific Palisades destroyed it all.

I cannot speak to the wisdom of rebuilding there, because there will be more – and worse – fires in the future. Of course, rebuilding will be with modern fire-conscious  codes. But I can speak to the desire of someone who lived in his house for almost 55 years… to rebuild his house.

Oh, and Paul? I see in the photo you have a copy of your father Hugh Tracey’s wonderful book of trad. African stories, “The Lion on the Path”. I have a number of copies of the book, and I would be glad to send one to you if you don’t have any.

Here is the Go Fund Me page for Paul and Sue Tracey.