Born in Alabama and raised in Georgia, Butler began her comedy career in Texas night spots. She claims to have performed over 1,000 shows in a two-year period. Leaving the South for the first time, Butler drove her 1969 Grand Prix to NYC where she became a fixture on the comedy circuit. Butler broke into TV as a writer and occasional performer on "Dolly" (ABC, 1988), Dolly Parton's short-lived variety series. She went on to talk show appearances and cable comedy specials before starring in her own show. From the creators of "Roseanne", "Grace Under Fire" is the story of a plucky woman's efforts to support and raise her three young children as a working mother. Butler's ongoing problems with substance abuse (reportedly an addiction to prescription painkillers) forced the star to undergo treatment at least twice in the late 1990s. The second time, in 1998, forced the cancellation of her sitcom.