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His moonshine was made from a recipe passed down through his family and sold in the back of his Ford Model A truck. An incident report filed by the Cocke County Sheriffs Department says that Sutton was discovered dead in his 1982 Ford Fairmont when his wife, Pam Sutton, returned from running errands. In 2009, Sutton's estranged daughter Sky published a book titled 'Daddy Moonshine: The Story of Marvin "Popcorn" Sutton,' which gave a lot of details about her father's life. He was eating a piece of Blueberry pie. It took his money, but didnt produce popcorn, eliciting a few swift blows from Sutton to crack open the machine. His widow, Pam, told the outlet that he'd just received a letter to report to prison for an 18-month sentence for illegally distilling spirits, as well as felony possession of a firearm. Even though he is no longer alive, his legacy of moonshine production lives on. Popcorn Suttons moonshine was renowned for its high quality, and he was known for his careful and traditional methods of production. In March 2008, Sutton informed an undercover federal officer about the moonshine gallons in Tennessee and Maggie Valley, which he wanted to trade. When Popcorn Sutton was sentenced to jail in 2009 for moonshining, Pam stood by her husband. She has a Netflix doc, 'Pamela, A Love Story,' and book out now. Popcorn Suttons story is both tragic and a testament to the ravages of cancer that cancer can cause. "[3] His daughter said he had told her in advance that he would die by suicide rather than go to jail, adding that he had "the strength to die the way he lived: according to his own wishes and no one else's. However, prior to his death, she had not seen him in years. All rights reserved. If you are able, please support The Smoky Mountain News. To make a 5 gallon batch of moonshine, 201 pounds of corn must be used. IE 11 is not supported. We have a lot of people come to Maggie Valley that want to meet Popcorn.. Hi my Name is Angel. Shit while they were focused on him how much herion coke pills ? Making likker. In addition to organizing the Mountain Music Festival and the Moonshiners Reunion, Bill plays the guitar and organizes gig events. 'Moonshiner' Josh Owens Is Seemingly Prone to Injury, Here's Exactly How the 'Moonshiners' Avoid Getting Arrested. They were not invited. He gained fame as a moonshiner and bootlegger in the United States at a time when illicit businesses were the norm. In March 2008, they raided his home and seized 800 gallons of the illegal liquor, three stills with 1,000-gallon capacities, hundreds of gallons of moonshine-making ingredients such as mash and many guns. Morgan is the founder Morgan Media LLC, a graphic design agency and the co-founder of TheSmokies.com LLC a media company that specializes in regional travel sites. If you are going to produce moonshine, you must carefully follow his recipe and instructions. [40] The CEO of Popcorn Sutton Distilling is Megan Kvamme. Neal Hutcheson, another filmmaker who worked with Sutton, is worth $30 million. Over the next few weeks, Sutton sold more than 100 additional gallons of moonshine each to two different men and showed another guy the barn where three working stills and 500 gallons of moonshine sat, ready to roll. he still left her $10 million in his will . It was Popcorns daddy, Vader, who taught him how to make and run the moonshine as deftly as the Suttons before him. [23], A conventional grave marker was used at the head of Sutton's grave, reading "Marvin Popcorn Sutton / Ex-Moonshiner / October 5, 1946 / March 16, 2009". In 2009, he committed suicide to avoid going to jail, and because of his cancer diagnosis, he died. [2][7] Sutton, 62 and suffering from a long illness that his doctors had failed to diagnose, asked the U.S. District Judge Ronnie Greer to allow him to serve his sentence under house arrest, and several petitions were made by others requesting that his sentence be reduced or commuted, but this time to no avail. The company and whiskey brand associated with him have been renamed after him since he died. He wore a long gray beard, faded overalls, checkered shirt and feathered fedora. Is Pam Sutton Still Alive Copyright 2023 Distractify. JB, who was best known for his role as Shin Shinshiners in the reality show, died late last year from a long illness. One Christmas at the Cocke County police department, deputy Armando Fontes got a gift from a mysterious man with a long white beard. His wife, Pam Sutton, whom he married just two years prior, had returned from running errands when she found him. As Popcorn once bragged, Im the only man I know of around here thats got a two-inch dick and a six-inch tongue and knows how to use both of em.[pagebreak] Crime, whiskey & homemade sex machines: The life, death and legacy of Popcorn Sutton, Americas greatest moonshiner. But so did the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, who launched a full-scale investigation, including undercover agents that struck deals to buy large quantities of moonshine from him. Is Popcorn Sutton still alive? Since his death, he has been honored with a new company and whiskey brand named after him. I said, Im sorry, Im not going to turn a blind eye like the others. He arrested Popcorn, who got two years probation for possession of untaxed liquor. Fontes hadnt anticipated adding to Popcorns criminal record until April 24, 2007, when he spotted smoke billowing up from the woods. Sutton was found at the age of 62 in his parked green Ford Fairmont with the engine running. We are not endorsed by, authorized by, or affiliated with any mentioned attractions. Its empty. Pam Sutton, who became Sutton's fourth wife in 2007, said carbon monoxide may be the method but that's not what killed him. But the real question isnt what he did in 1983 its about the many bouts with the law throughout the 1970s, 1980s and early 2000s. What did his Mom put in the moonshine to make medicine, that Popcorn got addicted to? My favorite place of hanging out, how not the kitchen! Popcorn Sutton was a moonshiner who was born in Maggie Valley, North Carolina. Join Facebook to connect with Pamela Sutton and others you may know. A moonshine is a spirit created by fermenting cane juice. By deadorkicking.com Editorial Team. Grosser was just like any other fanboy whod come to meet the living legend and buy some hooch. Born in Maggie Valley, North Carolina,[1][2] he grew up, lived and died in the rural areas around Maggie Valley and nearby Cocke County, Tennessee. She was one of six children born to a sharecropper and a housewife. [41], In December 2016, the Popcorn Sutton Distillery was sold to the Sazerac Company. Sutton's daughter later revealed that Sutton had once told her mother that he would prefer dying than going to jail. Authorities suspected carbon monoxide poisoning. As of 2022, she has not appeared in the media for a long time. He was a whole lot smarter than people gave him credit for. Grosser returned on March 16, 2009 to finalize the deal with Popcorn, who was scheduled to go to prison four days later. (February 10, 1944 - December 22, 2010) We were fortunate to have a woman at Lions Dragstrip who was so dedicated that she wanted to preserve the performance of every car that raced down the strip. [3] In the 1960s or 1970s, Sutton was given the nickname of "Popcorn" after his frustrated attack on a bar's faulty popcorn vending machine with a pool cue. "Those factors gave Marvin the strength to die the way he lived: according to his own wishes and no one else's," she stated. Others view him as a criminal. [3] [4] [5] He wrote a self-published . So there my personal opinion. Monday, April 25, 2022 New Haven, CT (April 25, 2022) - After an extensive search, Yale New Haven Health (YNHHS) today announced that Pamela M. Sutton-Wallace, MPH, has been selected as its chief operating officer (COO), effective July 11, 2022. As Sutton's business continued to flourish, he got involved in several legal issues, such as selling untaxed liquor, possessing controlled substances, and assaulting with a deadly weapon (between 1981 and 1985). Fontes has just returned from raiding a local pot farm and is twirling a two-foot-long marijuana stalk in his hand like a billy club. What finally brought him down, however, was a fire at his own home in April 2007 when a still exploded. In 2009, an accidental carbon monoxide overdose claimed the life of the actor. It is critical to follow his instructions and recipe in order to produce a moonshine that has the same flavor and characteristics as him. Fans Want to Know Why 'Moonshiners' Star Tickle Was in Jail Again! So its no surprise that the law eventually caught up with him. He was also known for being convicted of crimes related to moonshining and illegal firearm possession. He was convicted of moonshining and illegal firearms possession as a result of his moonshining conviction. Pam St. Clement Birthday and Age. I was wondering if it was the last time the still was going to ever be use, why did they take the time, and hard work to break it down? While Popcorn was under house arrest, motocross star Jamey Grosser showed up unannounced at the cabin one day. In 2009, he chose suicide in order to avoid going to prison, and he was diagnosed with cancer the following year. The wife of Hall of Fame coach Eddie Sutton died Tuesday at a Tulsa hospital after suffering a stroke in December, according to officials at Ninde Brookside Chapel. Popcorn Sutton grew up in the South-Eastern Appalachian region of the United States, and he was born in Scotland. However, in what has become a Sutton civil war, Regina and her supporters, including Popcorns former girlfriend Ernestine Upchurch, are fighting to get his remains back to his empty grave at the Bend of the River and reclaim his brand name. But as Popcorn discovered, the buyers were federal agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Americas most notorious moonshiner was under arrest. He was selling some stuff. Dean Sutton of 39 years and his wife, Christine Sutton; their son, Ian; mother, Bessie Wimer; and sister,Brenda Oswald, all of whom preceded her in death, are among those who have passed away. She has no doubt Sutton died on his own terms. How do you explain Bill and JB from Moonshiners? [34] Country music stars attending the launch event included Martina McBride, Jamey Johnson, Randy Houser, Travis Tritt, Tanya Tucker, Zac Brown, Josh Thompson, Kentucky Headhunters, Little Big Town, Colt Ford, Montgomery Gentry, Jaron and the Long Road to Love, and Lee Brice. To Grosser it seemed less like a sellout than the last swift move of a sharp entrepreneur. Pamela Anderson is alive and well. That's a big problem because now look where we're at. Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. The federal govt. Suttons exhumed body was transported via horse-drawn carriage to his property in Parrotsville, Tenn., where he remains today. [7] This led to a raid of his property by the ATF, led by Jim Cavanaugh of Waco siege infamy. Some Popcorn Sutton branded products can still be purchased directly from the original company. I met Popcorn in a restaurant in Maggie Valley around 1997. Whiskey consumption has grown over the last few years as people seek out new flavors and styles of moonshine. Sutton earned massive fame as a liquor king by the time he turned 60. Facebook gives people the power to. Distractify is a registered trademark. But the truth is, moonshine is a dangerous health issue and breeds other crime. He was a short, skinny fella, who always wore his hat that was kind of his claim to fame, his hat that he always wore. To distinguish himself from the competition, he took pride in quality. His mind would just not accept it. Knoxville marveled at the wood-burned sign over the bedroom doorway inside that read this is a watch yourself fuck and eat pussy bedroom. Popcorns homemade cunnilingus contraption hangs in the doorway to this day, as I see when his widow, Pam Sutton, a heavyset, short-haired woman in a sleeveless brown shirt and jean shorts, gives me a tour of the cabin her husband built by hand. Neal used footages from 'Mountain Talk' in his next documentary, 'The Last One.' Some speculated that Pam might have secretly moved the body. "She's stiff as a board. "He couldn't go to prison. In a final twist, she can now make her papas booze in Tennessee legally if she wantsthe state passed a law shortly after his death authorizing moonshine production. I can't be the only one that misses Popcorn Sutton.I would have loved to pick his brain. To start the business, Sutton borrowed money from Nick Price. On March 16, 2009, Sutton committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning. As industrious about marketing his booze as he was about making it, Popcorn spent decades traveling the South, stealthily pawning jars from the back of his vintage rides. Sutton also had a daughter by the name of Sky Sutton. Popcorn may no longer be around to weigh in, but his final words appear by his new resting place near his cabin in the woods. The brand now uses a clear, round bottle with a smaller label. Lunn and Henley and the other employees of the distillery became employees of the Sazerac Company. Living in this area, he made friends with all the sheriffs and local leaders, Fontes, stocky and dark-haired, tells me one afternoon in his wood-paneled office. He was a moonshiner and bootlegger from the United States Appalachian region. While his standard moonshine tasted like sweet, buttery corn, his infusionspears, peaches, figs, black cherriescemented his greatness. Sutton was found at the age of 62 in his parked green Ford Fairmont with the engine running. Whiskey is a great beverage to try if youre looking for something different. On November 9, 2010, Hank Williams Jr. partnered with 'J&M Concepts LLC' and Pam Sutton to distill and distribute a whiskey brand titled 'Popcorn Sutton's Tennessee White Whiskey.'. Popcorn Sutton, an American moonshiner and bootlegger, lived in the United States from 1946 to 2009. People in the community didnt know how close we was, and I wouldnt tell em, Moore admits. Your support of SMN does not constitute a charitable donation. 4 mos. But how well do you really know the legend of Popcorn Sutton? After her death, Suttons business continued to operate, and he continued to produce moonshine until his own death in 2009. Popcorn Sutton Wife Death Joe and Pam were not present for Kobe's final NBA game, nor were they in attendance for his jersey retirement ceremony in 2017. He was a moonshine maker as well as Popcorn Sutton Moonshines creator, collaborating with his father. He said a Vending machine in a bar took his money and didnt give him his popcorn! To collect Popcorns original bottles, you can purchase them from eBay. From that moment on, the locals called him Popcorna reminder that this was one moonshiner you didnt want to cross. People had to make a living somehow back then I guess. The states with the most moonshiners, on the other hand, are not among the top five for per capita moonshine production. Even though technically he wasn't a member of "Moonshiners," his life and work inspired the series, which later kept his memory alive throughout its run. Popcorn Suttons real name is Marvin Sutton. He was well-known in the entertainment industry for his stage name and custom copper stills, and he made a name for himself. But he was also the sweetest, kindest, most loving man I ever met in my life.". The most notable thing about the grave? Though Popcorn left no suicide note, his dramatic exit has transformed him into a martyr for his cause and solidified his legacy as the little guy whod rather die than let the Feds beat him. Marvin was a kind of cultural icon and an embodiment of moonshine yore when it comes to producing the liquor. Here are six interesting facts about his life that might just surprise you. As I discover over several sweltering days and clandestine jugs of moonshine, Popcorn left a twisted trail: scorned women, abandoned kids, complicit cops, even homemade sex machines, exploding stills, and the tale of a throat-slit fiddler on the side of the road. Long hailed for her beauty and gutsy film roles, Grier is a Hollywood icon. It received a 2009 Southeast Emmy Award. Every time Sutton finished filling a barrel, he would give Nick a gallon and sell the rest to him. My mother-in-law Pam Sutton suffered a massive stroke on 9/15/22. A scrawny teen with big ears and droopy eyes, he had just watched the machine eat his quarters without dispensing his popcorn, so he whacked it repeatedly with his pool stick and broke the dang thing. The family descended from the wave of immigrants who brought their whiskey recipes to the area when they arrived in the 1700s. Through it all, there was just one thing that guided him: his likker (as he liked to spell it). The couple had three children together, but Popcorn Suttons moonshining operation often took him away from home for long periods of time. In 1999, he launched his self-published autobiography, 'Me and My Likker,' which also chronicled the incredible journey of moonshine production. He was placed on probation. One year later, while still on probation from the previous charge, an undercover agent working for the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission discovered 500 gallons of moonshine being housed and produced by Sutton. "He would tell you exactly what he thought, whether you wanted to hear it or not. His first appearance in a feature film (that was not self-published) was in Neal Hutcheson's 2002 documentary, Mountain Talk, as one of various people of southern Appalachia featured in this film focused on the "mountain dialect" of the area. "The way she's breathing is just freaking me the f-k out, man" Josh said during the scary experience. Would loved to have known Popcorn. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Later, in 1981, Sutton was convicted and sentenced in the Haywood County Superior Court in North Carolina for felony possession of a controlled substance. "I just hope and pray they don't send me off (to prison).". Famed Appalachian moonshiner Marvin "Popcorn" Sutton, whose incorrigible bootlegging ways were out of step with modern times, took his own life rather than go to prison, his widow says. Popcorn Sutton was a well-known moonshiner in the Appalachian region of the United States, and his wife was often involved in his business. However, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) raided the spots. [20] Mrs. Sutton said, "He called it his three-jar car because he gave three jugs of liquor for it. The epitaph on his footstone reads "Popcorn Said Fuck You".[14][25]. Singer-songwriter Hank Williams III attended Sutton's funeral and later sang 'Moonshiner's Life,' a song about Sutton, which is part of the singers 2010 album 'Rebel Within.'. It will cost you between $30 and $40 in supplies, as well as time spent cooking and fermenting the corn. Is Pam Sutton Still Alive Photo by - wp On December 1, 2021, a long illness claimed the life of a dear friend. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the editorial independence that is crucial to our mission to help make Western North Carolina a better place to call home. Her family includes her husband Dean Sutton of 39 years, son Ian Sutton, daughter Bess Wimer, brother LaRue Breasette, Sister Brenda Oswald, and son Rick Oswald. When the sugar content of the spirit is too high, the sugar content of the spirit will be too sweet, while too little sugar will cause the spirit to ferment poorly. Aside from his white lightening, Popcorn was known for his crass language and feisty manner. Moreover, there were several petitions made to reduce his sentence. His most recent conviction for selling over 650 gallons of moonshine resulted in him being placed on probation. [36] The lawsuit said that the design "is likely to cause purchasers and prospective purchasers of the product to believe mistakenly that it is a new Tennessee white whiskey product in the Jack Daniel's line." . Reports vary on why he was exhumed and reburied. RIP. According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, the states with the most illegal stills are Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama. JB and South Mountain Distilling Co. began making moonshine in late 2018. Soon after Sutton's demise, there were rumors that suggested his grave had been vandalized. "You might say he embodied a kind of Appalachian archetype, a character trait of fearlessness and fierce loyalty to regional identity even in the face of personal persecution and stereotyping," said Ted Olson, a regional writer and faculty member in East Tennessee State University's Department of Appalachian Studies. I picked one up and realized the man sitting in the corner bye himself was the Legend ! However, he always received only probation sentences. And the skirmishes continue: After his daughter Regina fulfilled his lifelong wish by burying him next to his parents at the Bend of the River, Pam Sutton exhumed his remains and buried him back in her own front yard at an elaborate ceremony attended by many, including Hank Williams Jr. Over a jar of moonshine at Popcorns cabin, Pam tells me with tearful eyes that his grave site had been getting desecrated, and she wanted him close to home. His daughter claimed that he had told her in advance that he would kill himself rather than go to jail. Popcorn Sutton is an American legend! As part of his undercover investigation, an undercover federal officer discovered that Sutton had 500 gallons of moonshine in his possession. He said Nobody else could be that handsome We both laughed and he proceeded to tell me how he got his Name. TULSA, Okla. (AP) Patsy Sutton, the matriarch of a family of college basketball coaches, has died in Oklahoma at age 74. He received the nickname of Popcorn after he attacked a faulty popcorn vending machine with a pool cue out of frustration. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 18 months of federal imprisonment. At the center of it all was a guy who, right up until his bizarre death, defied his stereotype as much as he seemed to fulfill it. Popcorn Suttons wife, Pam, died in 2009 after a long battle with cancer. Sutton, an infamous moonshiner, had been trying to outrun revenuers for more than three decades now. Pam Sutton sits down with Rick to discuss Popcorn Sutton The Rick Dollar Show 836 subscribers Subscribe 913 Share 124K views 7 years ago Pam Sutton discusses Popcorn Sutton and her. His thick shaggy beard and slight frame completed the prototypical image of a backwoods mountaineer. He wasn't just a poor old moonshiner trying to make a few dollars.". She hadn't seen him since she was 2, though they had talked on the phone. For now, let's learn about Popcorn Sutton and his cause of death. Pam brings more than 25 years of healthcare industry experience and currently serves as Senior Vice President and Regional Chief Operating Officer of New York Presbyterian. Sutton was convicted of tax evasion after his property was damaged by fire in 2007. He received a five-year sentence. Small batches of this alcohol are typically made and can contain 40 to 80 percent alcohol by volume. I bought a couple items and he talked to me. "Popcorn is getting everybody drunk," the governor's Highway Patrol escorts complained and when Irwin told him to stop, Sutton packed up and left, Irwin recalled. Editors Note: Many thanks to Sucker Punch Pictures for allowing us to use their incredible photos of Popcorn Sutton and his still for this article. "And then he got into it in such a big way. In January 2009, Sutton was charged with illegal distillation of spirits and firearm possession. Per NBC News, the famed moonshiner and bootlegger Popcorn Sutton died by suicide, possibly to avoid serving time in federal prison. As Fontes learned, Popcorn had a long history of cozying up to the police and avoiding prosecution for making untaxed whiskey. What To Know About the Shows Creatures, Is the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad Worth It? Whiskey production became ingrained in early Appalachian culture, thanks in part to the regions perfect climate for growing sweet corn. Sky Sutton, Suttons daughter, is the daughter of Sky and Betty. Stanley established The Starchild character for his Kiss persona. As one legislator put it, The law is not making legal someone who wants to open a distillery in their barn. Following this, he featured in another of Neal's documentaries, titled 'This Is the Last Dam Run of Likker I'll Ever Make,' which was a cult classic of the time and eventually caught the attention of many TV producers in Boston and New York. While some may question whether or not she is worthy of such a windfall, there is no doubt that Pam Sutton is a hard-working woman who has been through a lot in her life. In 2012, Hillbilly Hero and Tom Wilson Jester teamed up to release a photographic book about Sutton, 'The Making and Marketing.' Is Pam St. Clement Dead or Still Alive? Pam Sutton. Sutton committed suicide 2 years after their marriage. The best way to make Popcorn Suttons recipe was discovered in a large quantity of instructions and tips. The sale included only the distillery, not the brands, which are owned by Popcorn Sutton Distilling LLC, which is based in Ohio. On October 25, 2013, Jack Daniel's Properties, Inc. filed suit against the distiller of Popcorn Sutton's whiskey, claiming that the newly redesigned bottle, with its square shape, beveled shoulders, and white-on-black label, too closely resembled their own. Probably because its still illegal to make shine. In March 2009, Sutton, 62, died of carbon monoxide poisoning. i too would have enjoyed meeting old popcorn,he was and will always be the man the myth the legend that is popcorn marvin sutton, Our site produces editorial content for the purpose of entertainment. 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