[2] Taking influence from gospel music as well as rock and country acts such as The Everly Brothers, Elvis Presley, Don Gibson and others, he decided to pursue a musical career after graduating from Tennessee Military Institute and majoring in drama at the University of Tennessee.
There, he sold men's clothing during the day and attended various gigs at night, eventually being hired for one.
He released three singles for the label, including "Thinking 'bout Leaving", which peaked at 56 on the Billboard country charts.
[4] After exiting Mercury in 1990, he became a regular on a video program for The Nashville Network (now Spike TV).
[2] In the 21st century, Butch Baker founded the duo Alive in Eden with songwriter Jim Dowell.