Elise Testone Explained

Elise Testone
Birth Name:Elise Nicole Testone
Birth Date:29 July 1983
Birth Place:Kinnelon, New Jersey, U.S.
Origin:Charleston, South Carolina
Years Active:2005–present
Genre:Rock, blues, soul, jazz, funk
Occupation:Singer-songwriter
Instrument:Vocals, piano, guitar, drums, tambourine, cello
Past Member Of:The Freeloaders, James Brown Dance Party, Slanguage

Elise Nicole Testone[1] (; born July 29, 1983)[2] is an American singer and songwriter from Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. She placed sixth on the eleventh season of American Idol.[3] Her debut album In This Life was released in February 2014, and her second album, This Is Love, was released in 2019.

Early life

Elise Testone was born to LuAnne and Victor Testone, both of Italian ancestry.[4] She grew up in Kinnelon, New Jersey,[5] and got her first job making sandwiches at Taste of Reality, a local deli.[6] At the age of 13, Testone took lessons with New York City vocal coach Judy Hages.[7] After graduating from Kinnelon High School in 2001, Testone attended Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina, earning a bachelor's degree in music in 2005.[4] [5]

In 2006, Testone moved to Charleston, South Carolina and began collaborating with local rock, pop, funk, and soul musicians, while writing her own blues and jazz songs.[8] [9] [10] In a November 2008 interview, Testone said she worked at PawPurri for Pets in the mornings.[6] In the afternoons, she was a vocal coach at Music Unlimited in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.[4] [6] In the evenings, she performed regularly at restaurants and clubs in Charleston, South Carolina.[6] [11] [12] Testone performs solo and with several Charleston groups, including The Freeloaders, James Brown Dance Party, and Slanguage.[13] [14] In October 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.[7] [15] 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.[9]

Testone has performed as an opening act for various other artists, including Snoop Dogg, Nappy Roots, Seven Mary Three, and Kevin Costner and Modern West.[13] [14] She can play the piano, guitar, drums, tambourine and cello.[8] [10] [16] Her favorite artists are Bonnie Raitt, Michael Jackson and Jimi Hendrix.[17] Other musical influences include B.B. King, Tori Amos, Erykah Badu, Jewel and Lauryn Hill.[17]

American Idol

See main article: American Idol (season 11).

Overview

On July 22, 2011, Testone auditioned in North Charleston, South Carolina.[8] She received a standing ovation in Vegas Round along with Reed Grimm, Eben Franckewitz and Haley Johnsen with their group performance of Bobby Vee's "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes."

In the semi-finals, Testone performed Adele's "One and Only" and was one of five female contestants to advance to the finals based on viewer votes.[4]

In the first round of the finals, Testone performed Whitney Houston's "I'm Your Baby Tonight" and was the female contestant with the lowest number of votes. Between Testone and Jeremy Rosado, the male contestant with the lowest number of votes, the judges decided to eliminate Rosado.[18] Testone and fellow contestant Jessica Sanchez received an endorsement from The X Factor season 1 finalist Chris Rene.[19]

The following week, in the top eleven round, Testone performed "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green and received praise from the judges, with Randy Jackson proclaiming, "America, Elise is back!"[20] Nonetheless, Testone was in the bottom three again.[21] This was not well received by the judges, as Jennifer Lopez explained, "I’m not happy. It's not fair. Great performances should be rewarded. She was one of the best last night."[21]

In the top ten round, Testone sang Billy Joel's "Vienna" and received a standing ovation from the judges.[22] [23] After spending two weeks in the bottom three, Testone was declared "safe" when the voting results were announced.[24] Testone received a second consecutive standing ovation for her performance of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" in the top nine round,[25] which critics considered to be her signature moment of the season.[26] [27] After seeing Testone rehearse before the performance, celebrity mentor Stevie Nicks enthusiastically stated, "If I needed a singer, I'd hire her in a second."[28]

In the top six round, Testone performed Queen's "I Want It All" and The Jimi Hendrix Experience's "Bold as Love".[28] The show's record producer mentor Jimmy Iovine called Testone "a great singer who makes bad [song] choices."[27] She defended her song choices stating, "Those were the best choices for me, but probably the majority of people at home want to be able to sing along."[3]

Testone was eliminated on April 26, 2012, finishing the competition in sixth place.[3]

Performances/results

EpisodeThemeSong choiceOriginal artistOrder #Result
AuditionAuditioner's Choice"Get It While You Can"Janis JoplinN/AAdvanced
Hollywood Round, Part 1First Solo"Virtual Insanity"JamiroquaiN/AAdvanced
Hollywood Round, Part 2Group Performance"Some Kind of Wonderful"[29] Soul Brothers SixN/AAdvanced
Hollywood Round, Part 3Second SoloNot airedN/AAdvanced
Las Vegas RoundSongs from the 1950s
Group Performance
"The Night Has a Thousand Eyes"Bobby VeeN/AAdvanced
Final JudgmentFinal Solo "It's a Man's Man's Man's World"James BrownN/AAdvanced
Top 25 (12 Women)Personal Choice"One and Only"Adele12Advanced
Top 13"I'm Your Baby Tonight"Whitney Houston2Saved
Top 11Year They Were Born"Let's Stay Together"Al Green4Bottom 3
Top 10Billy Joel"Vienna"Billy Joel5Safe
Top 9Their Personal IdolsTrio "Landslide" / "Edge of Seventeen" / "Don't Stop"
with Colton Dixon & Phillip Phillips
Fleetwood Mac / Stevie Nicks3Safe
Solo "Whole Lotta Love"Led Zeppelin12
Top 8Songs from the 1980sSolo "I Want to Know What Love Is" Foreigner2Bottom 3
Duet "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around"
with Phillip Phillips
Stevie Nicks & Tom Petty8
Top 7Songs from the 2010sDuet "Somebody That I Used to Know"
with Phillip Phillips
Gotye feat. Kimbra3Bottom 3
Solo "You and I"Lady Gaga10
Top 7Songs from Now & Then"No One"Alicia Keys3Bottom 3
"Let's Get It On"Marvin Gaye10
Top 6Queen"I Want It All"Queen4Eliminated
Contestant's Choice"Bold as Love"The Jimi Hendrix Experience10

Post-Idol appearances

Her journey through American Idol made her realize that rock genre is her forte. While on American Idols LIVE! Tour 2012, Testone intends to write songs for her album that would include elements of rock, blues, jazz, soul, and funk.[30] Following her elimination, Testone appeared on various talk shows, including Good Day L.A.,[31] The Today Show,[32] Anderson,[33] and The Ellen DeGeneres Show.[34] Testone and fellow contestant Colton Dixon performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on April 27, 2012.[35] Testone also performed on Live! with Kelly on April 30, 2012, with a rendition of Adele's "One and Only".[16] She treated Access Hollywood viewers to a reprise of "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green.[36]

At the start of 2013, the singer gathered a number of local Charleston musicians to begin recording her debut album. Self-produced and focussing on her own songs, Testone used a varied of genres to express her personal experiences.[37] Testone released her debut album, In This Life on February 11, 2014.[38] In January 2015 she moved to New York,[39] where she works as a vocal coach.[40] In the same year she released the single "Now" while she continues to tour.[41] [42]

Discography

Albums

TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positionsSales
USCAN
In This Life
  • Released: February 16, 2014
  • Label: Red Tambo Records
  • Format: CD, digital download
This Is Love
  • Released: April 17, 2019
  • Label: Red Tambo Records
  • Format: CD, digital download

Singles

As lead artist

YearSinglePeak chart positionsAlbum
US
2014"I Will Not Break"In This Life
2015"Help Me"
"Time"
"Now"

As featured artist

YearSingleArtistPeak chart positionsAlbum
US
2011"In a Sense"Man on FireChrysalis
"A (Post Apocalyptic) Bedtime Story"
2012"All for You"Emotive
"Gravity, Pt. 2"Man on Fire
2015"Over the Rainbow"Kevin West

Videography

Music videos

YearVideoDirector
2014"I Will Not Break"David Keller
2015"Now"Charlotte Savage

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Testone. Elise. Tweet. Twitter.
  2. CvSa8eBrtDe . elisetestone . I did it! I can't believe I've been alive for 40 years! ✨ . 2023-07-29 . Elise . Testone . Elise Testone . 2024-02-28 . yes . mdy.
  3. News: Not my time to go, says ousted "Idol" Elise Testone. April 27, 2012. Reuters. Serjeant, Jill. April 27, 2012.
  4. News: Local musician Elise Testone advances to finals on 'American Idol'. March 2, 2012. The Post and Courier. Thompson, Bill. March 4, 2012.
  5. Web site: Kinnelon grad singing her way to the top. February 20, 2012. NorthJersey.com. Kolton, Tara. March 4, 2012.
  6. Web site: margaret. November 26, 2008. 24/7 with Elise Testone, Charleston, SC. Skirt! Charleston. Skirt.com. 2012-04-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20120324211531/http://charleston.skirt.com/247/247-elise-testone-charleston-sc. 2012-03-24. dead.
  7. News: Elise Testone and the Freeloaders. October 19, 2011. Charleston City Paper. Booth, Jared. March 4, 2012.
  8. News: Elise Testone turning CCU, Myrtle Beach into 'Idol' fans . March 6, 2012 . ListenUp Myrtle Beach . Gale, Heather . March 6, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120311212615/http://www.listenupmb.com/news/2012/3/6/elise-testone-turning-ccu-myrtle-beach-into-idol-fans.html . March 11, 2012 .
  9. News: Best Tribute. Charleston City Paper. Lesemann, T. Ballard. March 4, 2012.
  10. Web site: Vote for CCU's own Elise Testone on 'American Idol'. February 2, 2012. The Atheneum. Prufer, Mona. May 4, 2012.
  11. Web site: Elise Testone: Killin It. February 29, 2012. Holy City Sinner. March 4, 2012.
  12. News: Local 'American Idol' contestant Elise Testone just wants to perform. February 15, 2012. The Post and Courier. Thompson, Bill. March 4, 2012.
  13. Web site: Robinson, Katrina. June 7, 2011. Profile of local singer/songwriter Elise Testone. The Digitel Charleston. 2012-04-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20120321013106/http://charleston.thedigitel.com/entertainment/profile-local-singersongwriter-elise-testone-31526-0607. 2012-03-21. dead.
  14. News: Sound Control. June 2011. Charleston Magazine. Gray, Stanfield. March 5, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120423180050/http://www.charlestonmag.com/charleston_magazine/feature/sound_control. April 23, 2012. dead.
  15. News: The winners of the 2011 City Paper Music Awards. October 19, 2011. Charleston City Paper. Lesemann, T. Ballard. March 4, 2012.
  16. Web site: Scott, Jason . April 30, 2012 . Elise Testone – One and Only – Live with Kelly! – Video . https://archive.today/20130415205715/http://www.rickey.org/elise-testone-one-and-only-live-with-kelly-video/ . dead . 2013-04-15 . American Idol . Rickey.org . 2012-04-30 .
  17. Web site: American Idol. Elise Testone – American Idol. American Idol. 2012-04-27.
  18. News: Jeremy Rosado had 'gut feeling' about elimination. March 9, 2012. USA Today. Oliver, David. March 24, 2012.
  19. Web site: Halperin, Shirley. Medina, Portia. March 15, 2012. 'American Idol's Jessica Sanchez and Elise Testone Get Ringing Endorsement from 'X Factor's' Chris Rene (Video). TV Shows. The Hollywood Reporter. 2012-03-15.
  20. Web site: American Idol Airs Jermaine Jones's Elimination for Legal Trouble. March 14, 2012. People.com. O’Donnell, Kevin. March 18, 2012.
  21. Web site: 'American Idol' Top 11 Results: Girls' Night OUT. March 15, 2012. Music. Yahoo Music. Parker, Lyndsey. March 18, 2012.
  22. News: Charleston Singer Survives 'Idol' Cut. Staff report. March 22, 2012. The Post and Courier. March 24, 2012.
  23. News: 'American Idol:' Contestants tackle New York. March 21, 2012. New York Daily News. Farber, Jim. March 24, 2012.
  24. News: Elise Testone makes it into the top 9 on Idol. March 23, 2012. Charleston City Paper. Haire, Chris. March 24, 2012.
  25. Web site: Elise Testone, Joshua Ledet channel Led Zeppelin, Mariah Carey on 'American Idol' . March 29, 2012 . American Idol News . CTV.ca . Associated Press . April 20, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120501162958/http://shows.ctv.ca/AmericanIdol/article/Elise-Testone-Joshua-Ledet-channel-Led-Zeppelin-Mariah-Carey-on-American-Idol . May 1, 2012 .
  26. Web site: Elise Testone's Top Five Moments on American Idol. April 27, 2012. Music+Clubs. Charleston City Paper. Booth, Jared. 2012-04-27.
  27. News: No Surprise On 'American Idol': Elise Testone Exits. https://web.archive.org/web/20120430004909/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1683992/american-idol-elise-testone-eliminated.jhtml. dead. April 30, 2012. April 26, 2012. MTV. Graham, Adam. May 1, 2012.
  28. News: American Idol' Top 6 Results . April 27, 2012 . Miller, Victoria Leigh . Yahoo OMG . News . April 27, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120718110018/http://omg.yahoo.com/news/american-idol-top-6-results-another-one-bites-163900946.html . 2012-07-18 .
  29. Web site: Elise Testone, Brandy Neelly, Lauren Gray, Danny Pate, Erica Young/AMERICAN IDOL GROUP DAY. YouTube.com. 2012-06-01.
  30. Web site: Elise Testone 'sings outside the lines'. April 27, 2012. Oliver, David. Idol Chatter. USAToday.com. 2012-04-27.
  31. News: "American Idol" latest castoff – Elise Testone . April 27, 2012. myFOXla.com. April 29, 2012.
  32. Web site: Boyer, Matthew. May 2, 2012. American Idol 2012: Elise Testone Media Tour Clips. American Idol. American Idol Net. 2012-05-02.
  33. Web site: AndersonCooper.com . April 30, 2012 . 'Idol' Castoff Elise Testone on Who She Thinks Will Win . Previews . AndersonCooper.com . 2012-04-30 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120506005509/http://www.andersoncooper.com/2012/04/30/idol-castoff-elise-testone-on-who-she-thinks-will-win . 2012-05-06 .
  34. Web site: Thursday's Talk Shows. May 2, 2012. Entertainment. Los Angeles Times. May 3, 2012.
  35. Web site: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Idol's Colton and Elise (VIDEO) . TV . Hulu.com . 2012-04-28 .
  36. Web site: AccessHollywood.com. Elise Testone Sings 'Let's Stay Together' After 'Idol' Elimination. AccessHollywood.com. 2012-05-02.
  37. http://charlestonmag.com/features/elise_testone_takes_flight "Charleston Mag"
  38. Web site: Elise Testone releases new single and readies post-Idol disc. Younkins. Tamara. Charleston City Paper. February 26, 2016.
  39. News: Singing sensation Testone leaving James Is. for NYC's bright lights. Darlington. Abigail. Post and Courier. 2016-11-25.
  40. News: Catching up with Elise Testone After her big move, singer reflects on new experiences in the Big Apple. Darlington. Abigail. Post and Courier. 2016-11-25.
  41. News: Elise Testone – Now (audio) (premiere). PopMatters. 2016-11-25.
  42. News: Elise Testone Details Upcoming Winter Tour. February 4, 2016. JamBase. en-US. 2016-11-25.