Elise Testone (born July 29, 1983 in Kinnelon, New Jersey) is an American singer from Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. She is one of the Top 13 finalists for the eleventh season of American Idol 2012. Testone was born to LuAnne and Victor Testone. She grew up in Kinnelon, New Jersey. Testone attended Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina, earning a bachelors degree in music in 2005. Prior to Idol, Testone was a voice instructor in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, and she performed regularly, either solo or with one of several bands, in Charleston, South Carolina. In 2011, Testone and her band, the Freeloaders, won the Funk/Soul/R&B Artist of the Year award in the Charleston City Paper’s Music issue. Testone received additional recognition from the Charleston City Paper in 2011, winning the staff pick for Best Tribute for Elise Testone’s James Brown Dance Party. Testone has performed as an opening act for various other artists, including Snoop Dogg, Nappy Roots, Seven Mary Three, and Kevin Costner’s band, Modern West. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.