This is slightly jazzy, slightly R&B, and mostly lounge music. It would have fit in comfortably in the era before rock and roll.
Varetta Dillard (1933-1993) was a rhythm and blues singer from Harlem whose career lasted from 1951 to 1962. Her most successful song was "Mercy, Mr. Percy", which reached #6 on the Billboard R&B chart in 1953. She last reached the charts in 1955; "Star of Fortune" did not make it there.
In later life, Ms. Dillard worked as a music therapist with chronically ill children. She died at a comparatively young age from cancer.
Created December 4, 2025; revised November 6, 2026.