Facebook/Jesse Turner

Jesse Turner is the frontman for the Latin Grammy-winning group Siggno. The award-winning singer and musician recently opened up about overcoming personal life struggles, including depression, through songwriting beginning at a young age.

Turner’s father passed away when he was a young boy and he struggled with the loss as a teenager, according to an interview with Tejano Nation radio affiliate La Voz 93.3 FM in Abilene, Texas.

“You know I had struggles. I was a depressed child, a kid because his dad died at 7 years old trying to understand at the age of 13-14, where my dad went, so I became a cutter,” said Turner. “After I became a cutter, I hurt myself, I ended up in the hospital and I realized I was hurting my mom.”

Turner began songwriting to overcome depression and it became therapy for the young composer.

“That’s why I wrote ‘Mama’. I said, ‘This girl isn’t the love of my life, my mom is the love of my life,'” he revealed. “So, instead of cutting myself, I started cutting paper with a pen and that became lyrics. I started writing lyrics. I started writing song after song after song. That’s why I was able to write so many songs at the beginning of my career, because I was in a therapy session with God, with myself, writing my story.”

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The singer-songwriter has written many memorable songs that have become fan favorites and resonate with people including “Mama,” “Auxilio,” “Guardame En Espacio,” “Ya No Me Importa,” “Mejor Dimelo,” and many others over his career that began in 2000.

“Twenty-three years later, here I am,” said Turner. “I don’t believe I’ve changed. I believe I’m the same person I was yesterday as I am today. I don’t believe in fame, I don’t chase money, and I don’t chase success. What I chase is making good music, telling the truth, saying a good story. All I ever care about is touching people’s lives. That’s my life.”

Tuner adds his faith and music continue to provide him with the guidance to overcome any obstacle.

“No matter who or what tests come into my life, I always say thank you. Thank you for whatever it is. Thank you for the struggle, thank you for the lesson, thank you for whatever you have put into my life, I’m going to work even harder.”

Turner also addressed the question that has been asked about the sound of Siggno. “For years people asked me what are you? Tejano or Norteno. I’d say Rockteno because we played a little bit of rock. But at the end of the day, we were born in the state of Texas and we listen to Tex-Mex music, we love Country, we love rock, we love a little bit of everything and that makes us Tejano.”

Siggno is currently on their Ayer Y Hoy Tour 2023 and are recording music for their highly-anticipated next album.

Siggno is an award-winning, chart-topping Tejano band from Santa Rosa, Texas, which released their debut album Al Principio in 2001. The group, known for their unique Rockteño sound, was nominated for Latin GRAMMYS in 2020 including Best Tejano Album for Pelicula Vol. 1 and Best Regional Song with “#Hashtag.” They won a Latin Grammy for Best Norteño Album with Six Pack in 2008.

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Ivan Gonzalez