Conversation so far:
What was Rosie O'Donnell's earlier work?
Rosie O'Donnell toured as a stand-up comedian in clubs from 1979 to 1984. She got her first big break on Star Search, explaining on Larry King Live

Question: was she successful?
Self-contained rewrite: Was Rosie O'Donnell successful as a stand-up comedian from 1979 to 1984?