Hong Kong stars and fans bid final farewell to late Canto-pop singer Ellen Joyce Loo, 32
Denise Ho, Joey Yung, Miriam Yeung and Kay Tse were among those paying their last respects at Hong Kong Funeral Home
Scores of celebrities and fans bid farewell to Canto-pop singer Ellen Joyce Loo on Tuesday as a funeral service was held for the star, who died earlier this month.
Fellow local Canto-pop stars Denise Ho Wan-sze, Joey Yung Cho-yee, Miriam Yeung Chin-wah and Kay Tse On-kei were among those paying their last respects at the Hong Kong Funeral Home in North Point.
Ho and music industry veteran Anthony Wong Yiu-ming served as pallbearers for the service, which was also attended by lawmaker and LGBT rights activist Raymond Chan Chi-chuen.
A dozen grieving fans, all wearing masks and mostly dressed in black, stood on a nearby bridge to say goodbye to their idol. The service was closed to the public and the media.
Some of them cried as they watched quietly outside the funeral home.
As the hearse adorned with white flowers left the funeral home for Cape Collinson Crematorium, a large group of reporters ran up to snap photographs while a few police officers and security personnel helped clear the road.
Some flowers and a guitar were placed on top of the white casket.
Loo died on August 5 at the age of 32 after falling from her flat in Happy Valley. Police suspected she had jumped to her death after investigations revealed nothing suspicious behind the incident.
The late Canada-born singer-songwriter was talent-spotted by Wong when she was 15. With Eman Lam Yee-man, she formed a duo called at17, becoming a household name in the city.
In 2013, Loo was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. After battling the condition for some time, she became forthcoming about her struggles.
Ellen Loo was trailblazer for Hong Kong’s LGBT community
“Having bipolar disease was really hectic,” Loo said in an earlier interview with the Post. “There wasn’t a specific reason for it. It could be induced by work stress, and it’s also genetic. Some of my family members have it too. It taught me a lot. It gave me a lot of courage to face myself and my life.”
The singer was a strong advocate for LGBT rights and same-sex marriage, and last year came out as lesbian at a music awards ceremony. In her acceptance speech at the 28th Golden Melody Awards in Taiwan, she thanked her wife, cinematographer Fisher Yu Jing-ping, whom she married in Canada.
