FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 Rita Ballou Forsakes ‘Rawhide and Velvet,’ Joins Radio Texas, LIVE! Team

TEXAS (MAY 9, 2015) Rita Ballou, Diva Extraordinaire and founder of Texas/Red Dirt gossip-news site RawhideAndVelvet.com, has joined Radio Texas, LIVE! front man Buddy Logan in announcing that she will be taking her Perez Hilton Pulitzer Prize-style writing talents to Mia ... uh, RadioTexasLive.com.

Ballou and Logan have owned a like-love-hate-love relationship for years now, having worked together, bickered with each other, and Ballou even took a cardboard cutout of Logan to MusicFest in Steamboat Springs, Colo., earlier this year. Now they’ll be Interweb-married as writers for the wildly successful RadioTexasLive.com, teaming up to share the latest, best and worst of the Texas and Red Dirt Music scene.

“Buddy Logan has been begging me to blog on his website for at least a week, so I figured it was about time to give him what he wants,” Ballou said. “I’m proud and excited to ‘sell out’ and become an active member of the Radio Texas, LIVE! team.”

Logan, who launched Radio Texas, LIVE! with 101.5 KNUE in Tyler, Texas, in 2011 and is now in 17 markets, shared a similar sentiment.

“Rita Ballou has been begging me to write for RadioTexasLive.com since we created it, I feel bad for her.” When asked, Logan replied, “Am I worried? About the consequences? Hell yes I’m worried. I have a family now. I’m so scared.”

Ballou has never been one to shy away from sharing her radical opinions, whether on the music scene or the latest episode of trashy reality television. But it’s her work on Texas and Red Dirt music that gave her C-List status in the scene, and now that she’s joining Radio Texas, LIVE!, that’s brought out various reactions from the music artists themselves.

“It’s like Christmas morning,” Curtis Grimes said with a shit-eating grin.

“What is this world coming to?” Jon Wolfe asked. “Really, Buddy? Really?”

“I ain’t scared of you, Rita Ballou,” Cody Johnson said. “I think it’s a good thing. She’s tasteful … no, she’s not tasteful. She’s, um, careful … no, she’s not careful.”

When pressed, Josh Abbott contributed his oft-controversial opinion: “Sweet,” he said. Void of emotion.

William Clark Green reportedly threw a stool when he learned the news.

Ballou, who will continue on as co-host of the Rita and Raines Show on KOKE-FM in Austin, will now additionally be a regular contributor on RadioTexasLive.com, offering unsolicited opinions, breaking the latest news in the scene, spreading gossip and … well, mostly offering unsolicited opinions.

“I’m excited that someone in corporate America had the testicular fortitude and deep pockets to pay me to write about the music industry,” she said. “I expect my inbox to be filled with more press releases and spa gift cards. This botox doesn’t buy itself.”

Logan said Ballou will officially begin her writing career on RadioTexasLive.com on Saturday, May 9, 2015 and it will end whenever she either pisses off the wrong person or until she realizes the checks from Buddy Logan are bouncing. It’s anyone’s guess.

“I just hope she writes something about me,” Josh Ward (who’s that?) said.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Radio Texas, LIVE! with Buddy Logan is a syndicated Texas, Red Dirt & Americana radio show based in Tyler, Texas, and is syndicated in 17 markets in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Colorado and South Dakota. Its website, RadioTexasLive.com, streams commercial-free music 24/7 and offers the latest news, concert information and more on the music scene.

More From 103.1 KKCN