He was a friendly fellow, and of course every time you would talk to him, he would say, "Ray, I've run my last run of moonshine, I'm not gonna do it anymore, I'm just getting too old to be doing this stuff.". [7], Sutton was featured in the 2007 documentary Hillbilly: The Real Story on The History Channel. Marvin was a kind of cultural icon and an embodiment of moonshine yore when it comes to producing the liquor. Regina Sutton, his eldest daughter, recalls a time in her youth when her mom opened the cabin door to find a man with a butcher knife sticking out of his neck. However, prior to his death, she had not seen him in years. Sky Sutton, Suttons daughter, is the daughter of Sky and Betty. If you want to find legendary moonshiners, you should look for Popcorn Sutton, also known as Marvin. [2][10][11] The New York Times later called it "a rambling, obscene, and often hilarious account of his life in the trade". However, Popcorn's estranged daughter Sky Sutton believed her father died by his terms. As a popcorn treat, a pound of moonshine is served. Offers may be subject to change without notice. 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. "She's stiff as a board. But Popcorn had fallen on hard times and ended up drinking and talking with Grosser for days. Popcorn Sutton's wife, Pam, died in 2009 after a long battle with cancer. Click here to find personal data about Pamela Sutton including phone numbers, addresses, directorships, electoral roll information, related property prices and other useful information. His mind would just not accept it. Each piece is handmade in Pam's studio in Reno, Nevada. "And then he got into it in such a big way. $50. His gravesite footstone reads "Popcorn Said Fuck You.'' RIP. Angel Sutton is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Glen Sutton. The four-word epitaph sums up how he felt about his life, his death, and his legacy:Popcorn said fuck you.Show me more booze.Head over to the girl galleries. He is buried in the. Pamela Sutton We found 100+ records for Pamela Sutton in NY, MI and 41 other states. Every time Sutton finished filling a barrel, he would give Nick a gallon and sell the rest to him. To Grosser it seemed less like a sellout than the last swift move of a sharp entrepreneur. Popcorn Sutton grew up in the South-Eastern Appalachian region of the United States, and he was born in Scotland. 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. I walked over and asked if he was the man on the Postcard. Pam Sutton married Popcorn Sutton just two years before his death in 2007. Popcorn Suttons wife, Maybelle, died in 2012 after a long illness. He would sell a gallon of alcohol for just 6 dollars. Following this, he was put on probation by Cocke County authorities. What To Know About the Shows Creatures, Is the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad Worth It? Helps Continue Popcorn Sutton's Moonshine Legacy", "Popcorn Sutton's whiskey goes legit with Hank Williams Jr.'s stamp of approval", "Hank Williams, Jr. Gets into the Moonshine Business", "Jack Daniel's in legal fight with small distiller", Dickel master distiller leaving to head Popcorn Sutton, "Sazerac Expanding into Tennessee Whiskey with Distillery Purchase", "Hank Tips a Hat and a Glass To Popcorn Sutton's Tennessee White Whiskey", "Another Dickel Distiller, Alisa Henley, Leaves for Popcorn Sutton", Obituary Of Marvin "Popcorn" Sutton, A Tennessee Moonshiner, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Popcorn_Sutton&oldid=1131948838, People from Maggie Valley, North Carolina, Articles with dead external links from October 2010, Articles with dead external links from May 2013, Short description is different from Wikidata, All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from September 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Sutton's long-estranged daughter Sky Sutton wrote a self-published book in 2009 entitled, Some of the prior Hutcheson documentary footage of Sutton was used in the 201112 season of the, A brief photographic book about Sutton was released in 2012 , Another Hutcheson documentary about Sutton was released in 2014 called, This page was last edited on 6 January 2023, at 15:01. Shit that kills a whole other generation. It was done so the state could finally cash in (in addition to tax payments, starting a moonshine operation requires a half-million-dollar tax bond). Would loved to have known Popcorn. To elude the cops, he switched up the cars oftenit was a 46 Willis Jeep one trip, a 53 Ford convertible the next. However, since he was diagnosed with cancer, Sutton requested US District Judge Ronnie Greer to grant him house arrest instead of sending him to prison. Is Popcorn Sutton still alive? [18] The judge noted that Sutton was still under probation in Tennessee at the time of the federal raid, and said that putting a man on probation again after being convicted five times of various crimes would not serve the community interest. However, she and her father were not very close. [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. 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 addition to being a wife and mother, Pam also worked as a waitress and a cook to help make ends meet. Since his death, Popcorn's persona and work have only garnered more attention due to a whiskey company named after him, Popcorn Sutton's Tennessee White Whiskey, and as we said before, his posthumous appearances on Moonshiners. Popcorn Sutton, an American moonshiner and bootlegger, lived in the United States from 1946 to 2009. Authorities suspect carbon monoxide poisoning. During a fire in one of Suttons properties in 2007, firefighters discovered a large cache of untaxed liquor hidden in the attic. He was a folk hero. Even in death his battles wage on: Popcorns whiskey recently became available legally for the first time, but a family feud over his legacy shows no signs of resolution. In 2010, Hank Williams, Jr. announced a partnership with J.M. She uses several glassmaking techniques to create decorative, as well as functional . The charges also included tax evasion and transportation of an illegal substance. 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. Does the TV show make real moonshine? Pam Sutton. My mother-in-law Pam Sutton suffered a massive stroke on 9/15/22. She was taken to upstate where she remained there for a a week and worked so hard to come home. He said Nobody else could be that handsome We both laughed and he proceeded to tell me how he got his Name. Popcorns nickname dates to a barroom brawl between himself and a popcorn machine. Word soon spread that Popcorn and another man cut him after a fight and took his fiddle. To the fans and celebs who came from around the world to buy his booze, Popcorn was the banjo-picking cracker with the long beard, grimy overalls, and bawdy stories. Probably because its still illegal to make shine. "He was a true moonshiner," his widow added. He was convicted of moonshining and illegal firearms possession as a result of his moonshining conviction. Interestingly, just a year after Sutton died, moonshining was legalized in the US. A popcorn net worth of between one and seven million dollars is estimated for Sutton Popcorn. The boy's mother's boyfriend has admitted to beating the child and is expected to face additional charges When he was sentenced to federal prison for possession of illegal firearms and moonshining, he chose to commit suicide rather than report to prison, at the age of 62. But the truth is, moonshine is a dangerous health issue and breeds other crime. Image Credit Birthday: October 5, 1946 ( Libra) Born In: Maggie Valley, North Carolina, United States 56 22 Writers #2968 Criminals #316 Quick Facts Also Known As: Marvin Sutton Died At Age: 62 Family: Did you know anything about Popcorn Sutton that we missed? [2] (A woman named Ernestine Upchurch, with whom Sutton had been living in the 1990s, later said she helped write the book. View the web story version of this article here. Sutton committed suicide 2 years after their marriage. 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? Hi my Name is Angel. The Feds killed him. Let us know in the comments. Pamela and Tommy had a whirlwind romance. Since his passing, his fame has only become more widespread with a new whiskey company that bears his name and numerous mentions on Discovery Channels popular show Moonshiners. Then there was the alleged attack on Willie Ferguson, a local musician who reportedly made the mistake of crossing Popcorn. Stanley was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 as a member of . Later he and Sutton even built stills together, and during my visit Moore shows me one of many he recently made. He was a moonshiner and bootlegger from the United States Appalachian region. 'Moonshiner' Josh Owens Is Seemingly Prone to Injury, Here's Exactly How the 'Moonshiners' Avoid Getting Arrested. Per NBC News, the famed moonshiner and bootlegger Popcorn Sutton died by suicide, possibly to avoid serving time in federal prison. He honed the perfection of the craft, much like his father and grandfather had before him. [41], In December 2016, the Popcorn Sutton Distillery was sold to the Sazerac Company. ", Popcorn's death remains a topic of discussion this year, as another supporter said, "Remember the Feds killed Popcorn Sutton just because he made his own whiskey on his own land. His mind would just not accept it. Moonshiners distillers JB and Bill from Connelly Springs, NC, are now teaching their distilling techniques in both states. I met him once at his little shack in Cherokee. That year, his conviction led to a sentence by federal authorities of 18 months in federal prison which leads us to our next Sutton factoid . The company that sold Popcorn Sutton branded products, on the other hand, continues to sell them directly to consumers. moonshine was legal in the United States for the first time in a year shortly before Popcorn Sutton died of cancer. Among his many documentaries was one that won an Emmy for its portrayal of his unique personality. He was eating a piece of Blueberry pie. She hadn't seen him since she was 2, though they had talked on the phone. Popcorns remains are still buried in his side yard in Parrotsville, Tennessee, where his widow will ensure no one else tries to harm him in the future. Maggie Valley lost a friend and an ambassador, said James Carver, a long-time friend of Popcorns and a Maggie Valley native. His thick shaggy beard and slight frame completed the prototypical image of a backwoods mountaineer. "Those factors gave Marvin the strength to die the way he lived: according to his own wishes and no one else's," she stated. If you are going to produce moonshine, you must carefully follow his recipe and instructions. But with thousands of people, including then-Gov. Someone of means like Hank Williams Jr., an equity partner with Grosser and Pam Sutton in the Popcorn Sutton Tennessee White Whiskey distillery, which recently celebrated an opening with stars including Kid Rock, Zac Brown, and Travis Tritt. 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. On October 25, 2013, Tennessee whiskey brand Jack Daniel's Properties sued Popcorn Sutton's whiskey brand for copying their newly redesigned bottle. Moonshine is romanticized in folklore and in the movies, Cavanaugh declared. Local authorities allegedly looked the other way, chalking it up to Popcorn being a community fixture. Popcorn Suttons legal fight to legalize moonshine resulted in his suicide and subsequent criminal prosecution, but it was his legal fight to legalize the spirit that led to his death. Irwin told Sutton to run nothing but water through it. [18][19] In January 2009, Sutton, who had used a public defender as his attorney in the case and had pleaded guilty, was sentenced to 18 months in a federal prison for illegally distilling spirits and possession of a firearm (a .38-caliber handgun) as a felon. The life and persona of Marvin Popcorn Sutton, a world-famous moonshiner and North Carolina native, are known to all. "He tried every way in the world to get them (federal authorities) to leave him on house arrest," she said. Distractify is a registered trademark. According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, the states with the most illegal stills are Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama. "Nobody was going to tell him what to do," Sky told Knox News in 2009. As the story goes, Fergusons body was found on the side of the road, left for dead after having his throat slit. She has no doubt Sutton died on his own terms. But the young cop, whod seen the ravaging effects of drugs and alcohol on the locals, didnt comply. Sutton had a long career making moonshine and bootlegging. Through it all, there was just one thing that guided him: his likker (as he liked to spell it). At several points in my interviews, people would slip away and return with dusty jugs of Popcorns concoctions. Aside from being gluten-free, the whiskey is also popular among those who have dietary restrictions. Sutton then wrote a self-published autobiography and guide to moonshine production called Me and My Likker, and began selling copies of it in 1999 out of his junk shop in Maggie Valley. These states are all part of the southern United States. 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. It is impossible to overstate the importance of the life and persona of Marvin Popcorn Sutton, a legendary moonshiner and North Carolina native who died in an automobile accident. Lawlessness around here still persists, with poverty, crystal meth, and alcoholism rampant. Pam Sutton. I remember the blood gushing everywhere, she says. 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. Others view him as a criminal. After separating from his second wife Heather Locklear, Tommy met Pam and the two fell hard and fast. He gained fame as a moonshiner and bootlegger in the United States at a time when illicit businesses were the norm. Though distilling moonshine is illegal, that doesn't stop the Discovery Channel from glorifying the concept in its docudrama series Moonshiners. But to those who knew him, he was something more: a brilliant self-promoter and chemist who ultimately despised the persona he had crafted as expertly as his booze. Pam St. Clement was born on May 21, 1942 and is 80 years old now. In 2009, he committed suicide to avoid going to jail, and because of his cancer diagnosis, he died. Authorities began to investigate him without his consent. Pam was a loving wife and mother who was always there for her family. Sutton earned massive fame as a liquor king by the time he turned 60. [3][4][5] He wrote a self-published autobiographical guide to moonshining production, self-produced a home video depicting his moonshining activities, was the subject of several documentaries, including one that received a Regional Emmy Award, and is the subject of the award-winning biography and photobook The Moonshiner Popcorn Sutton.[6]. The fire tipped authorities off that Popcorn was still at it, and wasnt merely producing the occasionall jar here and there but cranking out hundreds of gallons. But while the cops may not have pursued his bootlegging aggressively, Popcorn got himself in hot water nonetheless. Pretty dam sad if you ask me. Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. Clearly, the actress is still alive and well today, and she's been in remission for the . [38], In 2014, Popcorn Sutton Distilling opened a new distillery in Newport, Tennessee, the county seat of Cocke County. Newport Plain Talk, Cocke Countys local newspaper, originally reported the following arrests and convictions. To start the business, Sutton borrowed money from Nick Price. Bills organizing of the Moonshiners Reunion and Mountain Music Festival will continue, and he will perform at R.J. Rockers Brewery in honor of his music and life. He committed suicide in 2009 as a result of cancer treatment. Surprisingly, this list doesnt include any states with the highest moonshiner rates per capita. But how well do you really know the legend of Popcorn Sutton? "He did it his way. I can relate to that, as I am the same way. Sutton died by suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning in March 2009, aged 62, rather than report to federal prison[according to whom?] by Loyola Martinez | Dec 28, 2022 | Popcorn. There were so many doctors just jotting shit down on a piece of paper making herion legal in a pill form and they already new this. Whether people associate his name with criminal or star, no one can deny he's one of the only Cocke County, Tenn., residents to rise to fame. Did Popcorn ever have a wife? As a result, the judge had reason to show him leniency. Showed how to make moonshineHe wrote a paperback called "Me and My Likker" and recorded videos on how to make moonshine. 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