A 12-year resident of Loveland Colorado Wendy Woo has created a strong and loyal fan base for her music. Though not born here she loves everything about Loveland and built her life here, raising her children and building a family beyond just blood. What about the story of how she got here?
Woo moved to Loveland 12 years ago and married a Lovelander. They were married at the Devil's Backbone in 2010 and had a wedding officiated by Denver Mayor at the time, John Hickenlooper. Woo had 2 little boys from a previous marriage, with Drummer and lifetime friend Chris Maestas. After her split with Lovelander husband, she started playing and working downtown more. Needing to work she went and got an EMT degree from Front Range Community College in 2019. It was very tough to get hired in Northern Colorado so she found herself working on a Denver ambulance. Woo also went back into the restaurant business working in almost every restaurant in Loveland. “It was hard being a server in a town that knows Wendy Woo The Musician. People would love to stop and talk about how their first date was a Wendy Woo concert and now they are married with kids. Next-generation Wendy Woo fans were being raised on their parents' music, so kids would come in and tell me that they love my music or were inspired to be a musician.” Woo said. While she loved being recognized as a server she knew she needed to focus on her music. Almost 3 years ago, on March 16th, 2020 when everything shut down Woo was laid off from my job at a local restaurant. She then went to work full time on the ambulance in Denver and did that for the duration of the pandemic. She became employed at Betta Gumbo in Loveland to play every Tuesday during the pandemic. The owner is pro-business and wanted to provide free live music during the shutdown. Woo loved performing, saying “Rules stated to stay close to home, and here I was with a weekly gig, less than a mile from where I was living.” When the pandemic slowed down and things started opening up again, Betta Gumbo hired Woo to play every Thursday at their Windsor location. This gave her the freedom to continue music when the rest of the world had stopped. Woo thanks her Loveland following that has come from the many friends she met working in the restaurants and the downtown local Loveland scene. After the pandemic, musicians came out of the woodwork. Open mics were packed with talented people back to back to back. By sharing her songs with the world, Wendy Woo is making a difference in the lives of others. She is an inspiration to us all, and we are grateful for her presence in our community.
Article by Cassie Suppes
Photography by Cassie Suppes
Originally published in Loveland & South Lifestyle