DEBBIE LOVE

Debbie Love did not set out to become a Karate instructor or a martial artist out of sheer interest, it was out of necessity; she was compelled to learn everything she could about the subject because of a personal family tragedy that had a profound effect and would eventually change the course of her life.  

Her close cousin Julie Love, near identical in size, was the victim of a violent crime in Atlanta in the summer of 1988 which was the subject of headline news. It took over a year for Julie’s remains to be found after her disappearance. Once the facts came out of what happened to Julie, it was clear she lost her life because of a simple mistake, she ran out of gas. And, even though it happened in Atlanta’s wealthiest neighborhood, it was a fatal mistake.  

Debbie knew if it could happen to Julie, it could happen to her.  So she began a quest to learn self-defense but nothing seemed to work.  Knowing there had to be a better way, she enrolled in martial arts to learn from the ground up. That was almost 20 years ago.  

After earning her first Black Belt, Debbie began sharing basic self-defense and escape techniques to family and friends, and quite frankly, to anyone who would listen. As her experience and skills increased so did her audience. In 2009, while working in downtown San Diego, Debbie convinced management to put on a series of six 1-one hour lunch and learn classes for the female employees working in the building.  It was a success and a huge confidence boost for those women who commute to and from work everyday.

In December 2015, Debbie returned to Atlanta where her cousin was murdered to teach a special class for family and friends.

Since then, Debbie left her 40 year career as a paralegal to devote herself full time to educating women about their safety and continues to find innovative ways to provide valuable self-defense information and instruction to women of all ages, from young girls to seniors citizens, high school and college bound girls and women who work outside the home. Each class and workshop is distinctively tailored to the audience. 

Today, after almost 20 years of training, Debbie is a 4th Degree Black Belt and Certified Instructor in Karate and an advocate for women’s safety.  At under 5’ and barely 100 pounds, don’t let her small size fool you; she can stop a larger opponent with relative ease. 

As a frequent speaker and self-defense instructor, Debbie wants women to know that  self-defense is much more than simply learning techniques. Self-defense is not about being strong, it’s about being smart!

Whether you’re drawn to her soulful, powerhouse vocals, raw, heartfelt lyrics, or infectious grooves, one thing is for sure—Alex Nester is an artist you will remember. You can’t help but be drawn to her when she sings from such a deep and genuine place. Her music doesn’t just reach your ears, it reaches your heart. Channeling the retro artists of the 60’s and 70’s, Alex blends soul, funk, and r&b and delivers her songs with honesty and meaning.

Alex believes in the great power and beauty of music, and she felt it firsthand through her battle with cancer at 16 years-old. Along with excellent treatment, the love of family and friends, and the grace of God, Alex credits music with helping save her life.

With a grateful heart she went on to release two critically acclaimed solo albums, and opened as a solo artist for such acts as Earth Wind & Fire, Chicago, Rachel Platten, Evelyn “Champagne” King, and Dave Mason. Through the years she has also worked with Stevie Wonder, The Four Tops, The Fifth Dimension, Tito Jackson (of Jackson 5 fame), and Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, most recently touring as a guest artist with Carlos Santana.

Alex has made a promise to her listeners that her music will always be sincere and real. She believes that music-making is an art, and will always give her songs the time, attention, and love they need to be something special.

Alex’s third full-length solo album, “Someone Better,” will be released Spring 2020.