HOUSTON – As the city of Houston mourns and remembers Mayor Sylvester Turner, we wanted to highlight some memorable moments that made Houston proud. Turner never shied away from a moment to remind the world that Houston was in his blood.
In July 2021, while supporting 713 Day in Houston, Turner was seen dancing, freestyling, and profiling across the city. He dropped a freestyle to an impromptu diss verse at Houstonopoly.
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Here’s what he said:
Turner was also captured doing the ‘SouthSide,’ a popular local dance where you wave your hands side to side while doing a little dip the opposite way to the beat.
The 1997 H-town anthem is by Lil’ Keke of Screwed Up Click.
That same week, the mayor’s office released a photo of Turner as Spiderman to promote Comicpalooza at the George R. Brown Convention Center.
He also took the moment to encourage Houstonians to get vaccinated as COVID-19 was still impacting many Americans.
“As we laugh and enjoy this monumental event. We want to remind everyone, vaccinations save lives and protect fellow Houstonians! So make sure to #takeyourbestshot,” he wrote on Instagram.
Turner was first elected mayor in 2015 and re-elected in December 2019. During his eight years as mayor, the fourth-largest city experienced seven declared natural disasters, including Hurricane Harvey and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Turner, born Sept. 27, 1954, held the position of United States Representative for Texas’s 18th congressional district before his passing, after taking the beloved Sheila Jackson Lee’s position when she passed away in July 2024.
RELATED: Former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner passes away at 70
Born and raised in Houston’s Acres Homes neighborhood, Turner earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Houston and a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School. He began his legal career as a trial lawyer at Fulbright & Jaworski, where he then co-founded Barnes & Turner, a prominent law firm specializing in commercial law and personal injury litigation.
Turner served 27 years in the Texas House of Representatives, representing District 139. As a respected bipartisan leader, he served 21 years on the House Appropriations Committee and six years as Speaker Pro Tem, helping shape state fiscal policy and balancing multiple budgets.
