Ella Hooper
Encyclopedia
Ella Keighery Hooper (born 30 January 1983, Violet Town, Victoria
) is an Australian rock music
singer-songwriter
. Hooper is 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). 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). Killing Heidi have been on hiatus since 2006, Ella and Jesse have performed small scale venues as an acoustic
band, The Verses
.
to Helen Keighery and Jeremy Hooper. Hooper grew up in the small rural township (950 people) 175 km North of Melbourne
. After finishing 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 English and drama teachers, and encouraged Hooper to develop her songwriting skills while Jesse became a guitarist very early on. 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. They released "Weir" as their first single in August 1999, Hooper left secondary schooling to concentrate on touring Killing Heidi. The Verses debut album SEASONS came Out 13 August. 2010
Track Listing
Disc 1:
In March 2011, she released her version of "On the Inside
", the theme song to Prisoner
.
, Hooper won four ARIA Awards
in 2000: "Album of the Year" for Reflector
, "Best Group", "Breakthrough Artist - Album" and "Best Rock Group". With Jesse, Hooper was awarded APRA
2001 Songwriter of the Year.
Hooper was diagnosed with a cyst on her vocal cords which was subsequently removed.
gigs at smaller venues in Australia alongside Jesse, as The Verses.
In mid-2006 she toured Australia with the all-female musical line-up of Broad, alongside Australian pop musician Deborah Conway
, among others.
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
.
Violet Town, Victoria
Violet Town is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is in the Shire of Strathbogie local government area. It was a coach stop on the Melbourne to Sydney road...
) is an Australian rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
. Hooper is the lead singer of Killing Heidi
Killing Heidi
Killing Heidi were an Australian rock band from Violet Town, Victoria. The band, which has been on hiatus since 2006, are best known for their multi-platinum album Reflector, released in 2000.-Early years :...
, which she has fronted, with her older brother Jesse Hooper, since its formation in 1996 (at the age of 13). 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). Killing Heidi have been on hiatus since 2006, Ella and Jesse have performed small scale venues as an acoustic
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
band, The Verses
The Verses
The Verses is an Australian band that features the brother and sister combination of Ella and Jesse Hooper, the founding members of popular Australian rock band, Killing Heidi. Their debut album Seasons was released on Friday, 13 August 2010....
.
Early history
Born in Violet Town, VictoriaVictoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
to Helen Keighery and Jeremy Hooper. Hooper grew up in the small rural township (950 people) 175 km North of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. After finishing Violet Town Primary School, Hooper travelled 27 km by bus to Benalla High School (called Benalla College
Benalla College
Benalla College is a state secondary college located in the regional town of Benalla which is located on the Hume Highway in central Victoria, on the Melbourne to Sydney Highway, 180 km north-north-east of Melbourne...
from 1994) until Year 11. Her parents worked as English and drama teachers, and encouraged Hooper to develop her songwriting skills while Jesse became a guitarist very early on. The Hooper siblings wrote and performed songs for a 1996 Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
competition and won with "Kettle". Hooper moved to Melbourne after Killing Heidi were signed to a recording deal. They released "Weir" as their first single in August 1999, Hooper left secondary schooling to concentrate on touring Killing Heidi. The Verses debut album SEASONS came Out 13 August. 2010
Track Listing
Disc 1:
- Still Come Around
- Want Everything
- Settle Down
- Never Knew
- Teeth
- Let You (W)in
- Running Away
- Lonely Moon
- Midnight
- The Winter
- Waste Of Time
In March 2011, she released her version of "On the Inside
On the Inside (song)
"On the Inside" is the theme song for the Australian soap opera Prisoner . It was written by Allan Caswell and performed by Lynne Hamilton....
", the theme song to Prisoner
Prisoner (TV series)
Prisoner is an Australian television soap opera which was set in the Wentworth Detention Centre, a fictional women's prison. The series was produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation and ran on Network Ten for 692 episodes from 27 February 1979 to 11 December 1986.The series was inspired by the 1970s...
.
Killing Heidi
As a member of Killing HeidiKilling Heidi
Killing Heidi were an Australian rock band from Violet Town, Victoria. The band, which has been on hiatus since 2006, are best known for their multi-platinum album Reflector, released in 2000.-Early years :...
, Hooper won four ARIA Awards
ARIA Music Awards
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Australian Recording Industry Association...
in 2000: "Album of the Year" for Reflector
Reflector (Killing Heidi album)
Reflector is the debut album of Australian band Killing Heidi, released in 2000.-Album information:The album was an enormous success, propelling the band to prominence and eventually spending seven weeks at No. 1 on the ARIA charts...
, "Best Group", "Breakthrough Artist - Album" and "Best Rock Group". With Jesse, Hooper was awarded APRA
Australasian Performing Right Association
The Australasian Performing Right Association is a copyright collective representing New Zealand and Australian composers, lyricists and music publishers. The association's head offices located in Sydney Australia, and it has branch offices in Auckland, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth...
2001 Songwriter of the Year.
Hooper was diagnosed with a cyst on her vocal cords which was subsequently removed.
Killing Heidi - hiatus
, Killing Heidi have taken a break from performing, Hooper is playing acousticAcoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
gigs at smaller venues in Australia alongside Jesse, as The Verses.
In mid-2006 she toured Australia with the all-female musical line-up of Broad, alongside Australian pop musician Deborah Conway
Deborah Conway
Deborah Ann Conway, is an Australian rock singer-songwriter and guitarist, and had a career as a model and actor. She was a founding member of the 1980s rock band Do-Ré-Mi with their surprise top 5 hit "Man Overboard"....
, among others.
Hooper is a regular guest on the ABC
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
's musical quiz show Spicks and Specks; she has also appeared on the SBS
Special Broadcasting Service
The Special Broadcasting Service is a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television network. The stated purpose of SBS is "to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect...
programme Rockwiz
RocKwiz
RocKwiz is an Australian television quiz show series, focused on rock music, and broadcast on SBS One. It premiered in 2005.-Summary:The forty minute program airs on Saturday at 9:20 pm, and is hosted by Julia Zemiro. It is shot in The Gershwin Room at St Kilda's Esplanade Hotel, commonly...
and made an appearance on the premiere of David Tench Tonight
David Tench Tonight
David Tench Tonight was a short-lived television talk show created for Network Ten in Australia. The series featured David Tench, an animated fictional character, as host....
.