Ella Hooper

Infobox musical artist
Name = Ella Hooper

|thumb
Img_capt = Ella Hooper performing in Killing Heidi, 2006
Img_size =
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Ella Keighery Hooper
Born = birth date and age|1983|01|30
Origin = Flagicon|AUS Violet Town, Australia
Instrument =
Voice_type =
Genre = Rock, Indie, Pop Rock, Country, Acoustic
Occupation =
Years_active = 1996 - present
Label = Wah Wah
Associated_acts = Killing Heidi, Broad, Verses
URL = http://www.myspace.com/theverses

Ella Keighery Hooper (born 30 January 1983)cite web |url=http://www.saxton.com.au/default.asp?sd8=1810 |title=Saxton Speakers Bureau |accessdate=2007-11-06 ] is an Australian rock music singer-songwriter. [cite web |url=http://www.apra.com.au/cms/worksearch/worksearch.srvlt?action=workSearch |title=Australasian Performing Right Association |publisher=APRA |accessdate=2007-11-06 ] Born in Violet Town, Victoria to Helen Hooper and Jeremy Hooper. [cite web |url=http://www.angelfire.com/realm/kh/ella.html |title= Killing Heidi fansite |accessdate=2007-11-06 ] Hooper is best known as the lead singer of Killing Heidi, which she has fronted, with her older brother Jesse Hooper, since its formation in 1996 (at the age of 13). [cite web |url=http://hem.passagen.se/honga/database/k/killingheidi.html |title=Australian Rock Database |publisher=Magnus Holmgren |accessdate=2007-11-06 ] Their biggest hits are "Mascara" (#1, 30 January 2000, Australian charts) (Hooper's 17th birthday), "Live Without It" (#5, 23 April 2000) and "Weir" (#6, 19 December 1999). [cite web |url=http://australian-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Killing+Heidi |title=Killing Heidi discography |publisher=australian-charts.com |accessdate=2007-11-06 ]

Early History

Hooper grew up in Violet Town, a small rural township (950 people) 175 km North of Melbourne. [cite web |url=http://www.violettown.org.au/index.htm |title=Violet Town tourism website |publisher=Violet Town Action Group |accessdate=2007-11-06 ] After finishing with Violet Town Primary School, Hooper travelled 27 km by bus to Benalla High School (called Benalla College from 1994) until Year 11. Her parents worked as music and drama teachers, which allowed Hooper to develop her vocal skills while Jesse became a guitarist. The Hooper siblings wrote and performed songs for a 1996 Triple J competition and won with "Kettle". Hooper moved to Melbourne after Killing Heidi were signed to a recording deal.cite web |url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/07/21/1090089208436.html |title="Heidi reborn" |last=Murfett |first=Andrew |date=2004-07-04 |publisher="The Age" |accessdate=2007-11-06 ] They released "Weir" as their first single in August 1999, Hooper left secondary schooling to concentrate on touring Killing Heidi.

Killing Heidi

As a member of Killing Heidi, Hooper won four ARIA Awards in 2000: "Album of the Year" for "Reflector", "Best Group", "Breakthrough Artist - Album" and "Best Rock Group". [cite web |url=http://www.ariaawards.com.au/history-by-year.php?year=2000 |title=2000: 14th Annual ARIA Awards |publisher=Australian Recording Industry Association ARIA |accessdate=2007-11-06 ] With Jesse, Hooper was awarded APRA 2001 Songwriter of the Year. [cite web |url=http://www.apra.com.au/awards/music/winners2001.asp |title=APRA Music Awards - Winners 2001 |publisher=APRA |accessdate=2007-11-06 ]

Hooper was diagnosed with a cyst on her vocal cords which was subsequently removed. ] ]

Killing Heidi - hiatus

As of 2006, Killing Heidi have taken a break from performing, Hooper is playing acoustic gigs at smaller venues in Australia alongside Jesse, as The Verses. [cite web |url=http://www.myspace.com/theverses |title=The Verses MySpace page |accessdate=2007-11-06]

In mid-2006 she toured Australia with the all-female musical line-up of Broad, alongside Australian pop musician Deborah Conway, among others. [cite web |url=http://www.broadfestival.com/broad_2006.html |title=Broad 2006 web site |publisher=Maiden Australia Productions |accessdate=2007-11-06 ] Hooper is a regular guest on the ABC's musical quiz show "Spicks and Specks"; she has also appeared on the SBS programme "Rockwiz" and made an appearance on the premiere of "David Tench Tonight".

References