We recently connected with Shannon Turner and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Shannon thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you recount a story of an unexpected problem you’ve faced along the way?

In 2007 I had begun my journey as a professional actor/performer. I was living in nyc and booking work. My community was growing -my audience was growing- and then I suddenly became very ill. 2007-2008 marked the beginning of what would be s LIFETIME of navigating illness and disability. In 2007 I was working for a theater in Rochester NY and I began to experience health problems. After lots of testing, I was diagnosed with HCV that was determined to have been brought on by a blood transfusion at just a day old. I was born 4 months premature and a blood transfusion was necessary to save my life. Autoclaving did not exist in 1985, meaning there was no way to screen the blood I received. By the time I was 22 the virus had become very active in my body. This began a chain reaction of auto immune illness that culminated in a PE, stroke, heart attack and brain injury in 2012, after nearly 2 years of living in and out of hospitals. I was still singing wherever I could but this massive medical event in 2012 rendered me unable to speak, walk, eat and sing. I couldn’t comprehend the days of the week or names. My recovery took years. I moved back to Philadelphia for better care and was able to build career for myself in Philly’s renowned nightlife/cabaret scene. By 2020 I had a successful cabaret show, often did guest spots with performers I adore, and had been in several well received original musicals with JaffeSt.Queer Productions. We all know what happens next. COVID . Covid hit and I was sick by spring of 2020. By summer I had blood clots in my brain and survived another cardiac event. I was diagnosed with Long Covid and am still battling every day. I just wrapped another fabulous musical with JaffeSt.Queer Productions that had lines around the block, I did 5 solo cabaret guest spots in January and am nearing the finalization of the production process of an EP with my cabaret duo,Glitter and Garbage.I also JUST was released from a week long hospitalization due to insurance issues surrounding my immunotherapy treatment for my numerous medical issues. I couldn’t walk. I’m laid up on my couch taking morphine as I write this, getting ready to submit some vocal reel work to try and book a spring gig with a French cabaret artist that a colleague dropped a recommendation to. Throughout all the trauma and pain and physical suffering I’ve experienced, I remain tenacious about booking work and have incredible friends and colleagues who inspire me. My life isn’t for everyone -but it’s sure as shit FOR ME.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a cabaret singer, actor, writer and vocal coach. I have been working professionally as a performer for 20 years. I always loved to sing, and I was naturally gifted with this crazy beast of a voice. I went through a lot of abuse and trauma in my young life, so I got really good at being funny and deflecting pain with humor. I started doing theater in High School and it was a natural progression from art weirdo to theater weirdo. I spent my college years at a conservatory in NYC and in various cabaret clubs and piano bars. I booked gigs through auditions AND through busking on the street I would meet other artists and ask to collaborate. I truly have no fear about the quality of my work, it’s really whether or not is resonates with folks. My crowd usually finds me. I’m big into alchemy. I believe in taking the challenges and pain I’ve been though as a disabled person and as a queer/genderqueer person who has been abused just BECAUSE I exist in the body I do -I believe in the transmutation of that pain into beauty. Into art. Into catharsis. I have to meet myself where I am, always, no exceptions. That’s life in a disabled body. This gives me unique ability to know how to meet OTHERS where THEY are in their vocal/performance journey. We work with what we have and get it to bend to our will. What makes me a great artist and a great singer also makes me a great coach.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Seeing someone’s soul. If the work I’m doing allows me to connect to another individual, somewhere in their field of energy and make them laugh, make them cry, make them see themselves in the performance I’m giving-then that is the highest reward. I don’t care if they are laughing away a hard day, finding solidarity in the subject matter or realizing through watching my work that they are also an artist! That THEY have something to say. It’s just beautiful.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

We need affordable healthcare and housing. We need to make sure everyone can access groceries and sleep somewhere safe. What I have seen as I have navigated the system as a disabled person – I can never unsee. We are not actually seen as people by these giant corporations. We’re numbers. We’re profit. Even with healthcare, let’s say you have it to some degree are your eyes and your teeth not part of your body? Lol! Its outrageous. Affordable housing and affordable healthcare is the answer but I don’t know that we will ever see that presented as a solution. It means someone with the most has to give more back. We don’t love that here in America.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @Shantasm29
• Facebook: Shannon Turner
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/0kapfkIOqP8?feature=shared

Image Credits

First image: Shannon as Mx. ThenardiGAY in JaffeStQueer Production’s 2025 run of Gay Mis. 📸 @Joemaccreative