So TV critic Diane Holloway on the front page of today’s Austin American-Statesman can’t figure out who the “Gladys” is that had Ellen Degeneres cracking up on her national show, but I instantly had a theory: I suspect it’s “Brother Russell,” aka “Melba,” the Austin prank caller supreme who has been duping radio hosts (especially the fundamentalist Christian variety) for years.

UPDATE: We have yet to see a follow-up on this in Statesman, but both Brother Russell and Holloway confirmed that it’s not him.

This article appears in January 19 • 2007.

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