Ellen Joyce Loo

Ellen Joyce Loo (27 March 1986 - 5 August 2018) was a Hong Kong singer-songwriter. She was a founding member of the electrofolk and cantopop musical group at17.

Early life

Loo was born in Canada on March 27, 1986 and learned classical guitar from her father at the age of nine. When she was 14, she, together with her older brother P.J. Loo, entered the musical competition "Original Music 2000" (原音2000), which was held by Tom Lee Music in Hong Kong. Loo and her brother won third prize in the competition.

Career

When she was 15, Loo formed the group at17 with Eman Lam, and was signed by the music production company People Mountain People Sea.

Apart from writing songs for her own group, Loo was also involved in the production and song writing of other artists' albums such as Kay Tse, Miriam Yeung and Sally Yeh.

Personal life

Loo surprised the public when she came out as a lesbian at the Taiwan Music Awards in 2017. She was married to Taiwanese cinematographer Fisher Yu.

Loo was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2013. She came out as a lesbian at the Taiwan Music Awards in 2017. She married Taiwanese cinematographer Fisher Yu in 2016. The couple registered their marriage in Canada.

Loo died by falling from a her apartment building in Happy Valley, Hong Kong on 5 August 2018, in a suspected suicide. She was 32 years old.

Publications

• Lost. Escape. Rockmuiology – A collection of the photographs she took over 3 years of her life with her Revue 35CC camera prior the publication, accompanied by a series of writings (in English). 240 pages, published by Youth Culture (青春文化) in July 2006, Hong Kong, ISBN 988-99184-0-4.[3]
• I learned the chords at seventeen, collection of 22 originals guitar scores from at17's songs, transcribed by Loo in both standard notation and guitar tablature. 2005, published by People Mountain People Sea / Kubrick, Hong Kong, ISBN 988-97905-7-2