Karen Mills has been a professional comedian for 29 years and clips from her Dry Bar Comedy Special “Baby Got Bad Back” have gotten over 30 million views. Karen is currently on a 100-city tour with Leanne Morgan and she just filmed a special for Nate Bargatze called “Nateland Presents: The Showcase.” Karen has performed numerous times on The Grand Ole Opry and is a self-proclaimed Crazy Dog Lady!
Karen’s comedy is filled with smart, funny, keen observations. Her straight-forward approach to the realities of life will keep you laughing at yourself as you relate to her experiences. Even Ovarian cancer couldn’t stop her from turning her pain into punchlines. Diagnosed after a routine checkup, Karen was determined to take on the disease with hope and humor and in 2016 she was chosen to present her talk, "Cancer is a Laughing Matter" at TEDxChattanooga.
Karen has faced every challenge with determination. She stands at 5'2" and was told more than once that she was too short to play basketball. Not only did she play, in 1981 she led the nation in assists and became the first, Division 1 first team All-American in UT Chattanooga’s history. Karen was the first UTC athlete to earn that distinction in any sport, male or female. Her #12 uniform was retired and in 1981 she was inducted into Chattanooga’s Basketball Hall of Fame.