Peta-Gaye Clachar/Staff Photographer
Nadine (left) is full of vibes, joy, laughter and fun, says her friend, Karen Harris.

Misha Lobban, Contributor

Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave and impossible to forget. (Anonymous)

Born August 5, 1980, Nadine Willis stepped out of a Kingston nightclub as a go-go dancer on to the pages of prestigious magazines like British and French Vogue, after she was discovered as a supermodel in 2003 by Pulse Modelling Agency.

She has been featured on the cover of London's Pride (August 2005 issue) magazine and has appeared in numerous international fashion magazines. Gucci, Kenneth Cole, Moschino, Jaguar and several other high-end fashion brands are among her long list of clients.

Five years after her rise to fame in the international modelling world, Nadine continues to make headlines when she launched her career in the entertainment industry with the release of her debut single, What If, written by Grub Cooper and produced by Pulse Music. This song is the first of many that Nadine plans to record.

Her close friend and sister-in-law, Karen Harris, tells us more about the international model-turned entertainer, Nadine Willis, who incidentally revealed to Outlook that she will give birth to a girl (her second daughter) in May.

In this feature, Karen tells us of Nadine's down-to-earth, playful personality and her deep passion for music "which is in her genes". We also learn of her passion to motivate teenage girls within the inner city, especially those whose lives have been interrupted by early pregnancy.

,b>How did you meet Nadine Willis, and how long have you been friends?

It's about 10 years now since I have known Nadine. Her brother is the father of my child, but I knew Nadine even before that because we used to hang out together at Tuff Gong Studios. This was in the early days when her brother had just started out in the music business. Her down-to-earth personality was what really drew me to her and we have been friends ever since.

What do you admire most about her, and why do you think you have remained friends all these years?

She is a loving, kind-hearted person and I find that we are so much alike, that's why we have remained friends.

Tell us something interesting about Nadine.

In terms of her personality, Nadine is playful, always giving jokes and loves to laugh.

Although she is into modelling, music is her passion. She loves to sing and deejay. It is in her genes, it is in her blood. She has been around music since she was young, hanging out at the music studios and singing, too. Her brother Donike [Donald Willis] is a musician, he is known for his single, Gully Bank and Taking the Lives of the People. Other members of her family are also involved in the music business. Her brother's cousin, DeMarco, is also an entertainer (he sings Fallen Soldiers) and she has nieces and nephews here and abroad who sing, although they are not well known.

Not many people know that she has a passion for helping teenage girls within the inner city whose lives have been interrupted by early pregnancy. She has been involved in giving motivational speeches to young girls in the inner city about staying focused and ensuring that they get a good education, which is the key to improving their lives.

What are some of the things you talk about when you get together?

We talk about everything. Nadine isn't secretive, she is very open and so we freely talk about things that are happening in our lives.

Share with us one of the happiest moments you have experienced with her.

Wow! We share so many happy moments. One was the birthday party she had for daughter, Tatjana, two years ago at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel. It was special because it turned out to be a large family get-together, and she also invited about 10 children from various children's homes to share in the celebration. It was an event for her daughter but she opened it up to the less fortunate because she has a love for charity. She is just a very giving person.

Another happy moment was when she was discovered by Pulse. I was very happy for her and we are proud of her success as a model.

Tell us the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of her, and why.

Persistent; she is always thinking ahead and whatever she puts her mind to she goes after it. She is always trying to improve her life and to achieve her goals.

What are her favourite food, favourite music and favourite sport?

Stew peas - she especially loves the pig's tail in stew peas.

Country & Western - her favourite artiste is Kenny Rogers.

Cricket - every cricket match, no matter where in the world it is playing, she is there. She especially loves and supports the West Indies cricket team.

Tell us the colour that you associate with her:

Yellow - signifying someone you'll never forget

Orange - signifying someone you consider your true friend

Red - signifying someone you really love

Green - signifying someone you has had a significant impact on your life

Yellow. She is someone I will never forget. Whenever she's around you she is like the life of the party, you can't be sad or bored. She is just full of vibes, joy, laughter and fun.

Define for us what you consider to be a true friend.

A true friend is one who is open-minded, honest and loving, and that's what Nadine represents to me.

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