The twist to Verni Varga’s success story

Celebrities come and go. There’s no surefire way to a life of fame and riches. If you wanna be the next "it", you’ve got to have more than the requisite guts, talent and looks. Pure puffery (think lip synching "singers") can lead a celebrity wannabe to zilch.

Now there are success stories, and Verni Varga’s story is one. But there’s a twist to it. From kick-ass diva to doting and dedicated Christian and mom, Verni has gone from wild to tame in 26 years—and still has managed to keep the stages blazing.

Just how did this happen? And how do you exactly tame a wild vamp? Here’s an attempt to explaining what happened to The High Priestess of Jazz.

1. Ride with current high of the age you’re in. In the late ‘70s, jazz was hot, and Verni Varga knew how to play along with its music so she set ablaze Calesa Bar’s platform with her hot-hot-hot performances.

2. Be inimitable. Render your unique interpretation of the grooviest jazz ditties and give it your all: your heart and your soul. Come up with different attacks each time you sing the same song. But don’t lose your style; just improve it.

3. Connect with your audience. Be the most total performer that you can be. Your goal should be to please the audience whatever it takes.

4. Tease your audience once in a while. But don’t expose it all. Or else, the mystery fades.

5. Be the vamp that you are. "Suck" the energy of your audience and transform that energy into a performance that they’ll never forget.

6. Love what you’re doing.

7. Don’t hide your age. Instead, be proud of it.

8. Be a happy person. Smile even when everything seems to be going the wrong way.

9. Live a good life. Play and laugh with your kids. Tee-off whenever you want to.

10. Take good care of your skin. Wash your face (use Physiogel). Moisturize (use Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturizer). Apply hypoallergenic make-up (Verni uses Bobby Brown, Shu Uemura and Clinique).

11. Maintain good friends. Verni has been friends with Inday and company for years already. Though they don’t get to see each other that often, they still manage to keep in touch and be the young maidens they were way back when.

12. Be the woman of the world while you’re still young, but be the woman of your husband and kids when the right time comes.

13. When you start feeling the emptiness of this materialistic world, start looking for the best candidate for a husband – not necessarily perfect, but great enough to keep you company for life. In 1995, Verni got married to her longtime bud, Ric Oledan.

14. Always look for the sign. Verni got the signs she was looking for when she and Ric talked about a God-centered relationship the first night they went out on a date. They remain close to God ‘til now.

15. Surround yourself with the things that keep you happy like God, children, music, friends, and golf. Never let the promise of fame blind you from the things that really matter to you.

16. Cook a mean dish for family and friends to enjoy and feast on. Have Gourmet or Jap nights to keep them salivating for more. Eat good food. Drink good wine.

17. God first.

18. Family second.

19. Keep a loyal hubby. Doing this takes a lot of effort. You can start by finding or waiting for the guy that you can love despite his shortcomings.

20. Keep an open ear to those in need. Counsel the weak. Guide the confuse. Be an instrument of God’s messages.

21. Keep the faith. Believe that God is a powerful being who’s greater than your greatest problems.

22. Read the Bible everyday. Write your prayers. If you’re lucky, you could be composing a song in no time. Verni has composed four songs mostly through praying.

23. Never let the Devil win. When trials come to your life, be ready to face it head on and take in heart that the devil is a desperate loser out to get the best of you.

24. Compose songs that will praise The Guy Up There and let the vibe flow naturally. Make yourself the channel through which his message can be heard by all. Glorify Him more by producing an inspirational album in the future.

25. While in your tummy, compose a song for your baby. Tell the kid how much you anticipate his/her birth.

No matter how small my role is, I’m darn proud to be part of Varga’s journey!