He was really just a back hill shiner. However, on October 24, 2009, it was relocated to his property in Parrottsville, and a private memorial service was held. Buyers came from miles around to sample his goods, and Popcorns celebrity grew. 1. But while the cops may not have pursued his bootlegging aggressively, Popcorn got himself in hot water nonetheless. "[21][22], Sutton's body was initially interred at a family graveyard in Mount Sterling, North Carolina. Whatever he earned from trading the barrels to Nick would go back into the next batch of products, and he would leave with little to spend on his household. 4 mos. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/popcorn-sutton-46282.php. Children. Pam said that a few days later, after coming home from running errands, she found her husband dead in his Ford. There arent any more not in his form or fashion, thats for sure., Julia Merchant contributed to this article. If you want to find legendary moonshiners, you should look for Popcorn Sutton, also known as Marvin. She told the Associated Press (per NBC): "He couldn't go to prison. ", Maggie Valley, NC Mark, Digger and JB are close to completing the first run of liquor anyones made here since Popcorn Sutton did his last run 20 years ago #Moonshiners on @Discovery and @discoveryplus https://t.co/mJGWJuEHZO pic.twitter.com/RohfOaMOKq. Pam Sutton is a much loved and valued member with the Inner West Police Area Command. ", 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. The sale included only the distillery, not the brands, which are owned by Popcorn Sutton Distilling LLC, which is based in Ohio. He was eating a piece of Blueberry pie. Willie Nelson had him onstage at a local show, and Johnny Knoxville taped a visit to Popcorns cabin. Marvin "Popcorn" Sutton (October 5, 1946 March 16, 2009) was an American Appalachian moonshiner and bootlegger. All rights reserved. She even went so far as to testify on his behalf at his sentencing hearing. 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 . Popcorns nickname dates to a barroom brawl between himself and a popcorn machine. Sutton was sentenced to 18 months in prison in January 2009 for tax evasion. Popcorn Sutton, a moonshiner and bootlegger from 1946 to 2009, is regarded as an American legend. 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. No bootlegger, however, would become as enigmatic as Popcorn. Throughout his life, Sutton proudly held on to his Scotch-Irish American ethnicity and boasted about the fact that he had moonshining in his blood. Select the best result to find their address, phone number, relatives, and public records. 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. DE, Popcorn Suttons XXX Tennessee White Whiskey can also be purchased in a mason jar. 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.'. He considered moonshining his birth rite. Sutton learned to make moonshine at an early age. In 2009, he chose suicide in order to avoid going to prison, and he was diagnosed with cancer the following year. moonshine was made from a recipe passed down through the generations and was sold in the back of his Ford Model A truck. [3][4] Before his rise to fame at around 60 years of age, he had been in trouble with the law several times, but had avoided prison sentences. Its a phrase he cut into his headstone when he was still alive. Spouse. In 2009, he committed suicide to avoid going to jail, and because of his cancer diagnosis, he died. If he liked you he liked you, and if he didnt, you better stay away, recalled Carver. [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." Bell Mary. His gravesite footstone reads "Popcorn Said Fuck You.'' On February 7, 2008, a biker arrived at Popcorns house saying he wanted to buy more than 50 gallons of moonshine. Moreover, there were several petitions made to reduce his sentence. However, she and her father were not very close. This led to yet another conviction on a number of charges. Authorities began to investigate him without his consent. How Old - Age: 80. Others view him as a criminal. What To Know About the Shows Creatures, Is the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad Worth It? He seemed interesting and came out with some funny one liners. In December 2016, Popcorn Sutton Distillery was sold to the alcoholic beverage company 'Sazerac Company.'. His thick shaggy beard and slight frame completed the prototypical image of a backwoods mountaineer. In this article, we take a closer look at some of the most interesting monsters mentioned on Travel Channel's Mountain Monsters (media photo from Travel Channel, werewolf rendering from Adobe stock), The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad is one of the main attractions in Bryson City, North Carolina (photo by Alaina O'Neal/TheSmokies.com), I would love to have drank some of his moonshine ll0, I wud love to have met Popcorn. While the series typically follows current moonshiners, part of the show features the late Marvin "Popcorn" Sutton. Making likker. Pam Sutton. He was selling some stuff. 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. 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. So credit the federal government for my husband being dead, I really do," Pam Sutton told The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday from the couple's home in the Parrottsville community, about 50 miles east of Knoxville. I can brag about one thing, Popcorn once said in his thick Southern drawl. I bought a couple items and he talked to me. He gained fame as a moonshiner and bootlegger in the United States at a time when illicit businesses were the norm. In the 90s he authored a ribald autobiography, Me and My Likker, which he sold on the Internet. They were not invited. (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. Urban drinks are featured. Facebook gives people the power to share. Pam Sutton was born in 1951 in the small town of Maggie Valley, North Carolina. Sutton committed suicide 2 years after their marriage. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her. Among his many documentaries was one that won an Emmy for its portrayal of his unique personality. However, Popcorn's estranged daughter Sky Sutton believed her father died by his terms. Don Sundquist, visiting for an annual homecoming event, Sutton decided to cook up some real sour mash and dispense it to the crowd in little paper cups. So credit the federal government for my husband being dead, I really do," she said. Sutton was found at the age of 62 in his parked green Ford Fairmont with the engine running. Marvin Suttons legend began when he beat up the snack machine with a pool cue. His estranged daughter Sky Sutton, 35, of Northampton, Mass., had just completed a book about him, titled "Daddy Moonshine," the day he died. His most recent conviction for selling over 650 gallons of moonshine resulted in him being placed on probation. 33 Years old foodie & cookie lover. The couple had been married for over 50 years and had three children together. Shit while they were focused on him how much herion coke pills ? If you have a question about contributing to SMN, please contact us. Newport Plain Talk, Cocke Countys local newspaper, originally reported the following arrests and convictions. Today, Sky Sutton is a published author, historian and genealogist. 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. After he attacked a popcorn vending machine with a pool cue in the 1960s or 1970s, he was dubbed Popcorn by the media. He was convicted in 1974 of selling untaxed liquor[3][7] and in 1981 and 1985 on charges of possessing controlled substances and assault with a deadly weapon, but received only probation sentences until the 1985 arrest, after which he served time in the Craggy Correctional Center in Asheville. So he Wooped the hell out of it with a pool stick. Since his death, he has been honored with a new company and whiskey brand named after him. Reader contributions support the journalistic mission of SMN to remain independent. 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. Sutton nicknamed "Popcorn" for smashing up a 10-cent popcorn machine in a bar with a pool cue in his 20s looked like a living caricature of a mountain moonshiner. Angel Sutton is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Glen Sutton. This charge would eventually cause him to fall. 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. For now, let's learn about Popcorn Sutton and his cause of death. [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. He also had a coffin ready in his living room. The life and persona of Marvin Popcorn Sutton, a world-famous moonshiner and North Carolina native, are known to all. Popcorn was one of a kind, a man who told it like it was! says Williams. He always stayed true to his craft, Upchurch tells me, which was making liquor. It will cost you between $30 and $40 in supplies, as well as time spent cooking and fermenting the corn. 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. He always lived a death-before-dishonor kind of life." Per NBC News, the famed moonshiner and bootlegger Popcorn Sutton died by suicide, possibly to avoid serving time in federal prison. His health was failing. This is likely the event that spurred the internets 1983 search. 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. after being convicted of offenses related to moonshining and illegal firearm possession. Sutton's memorial grew in spectacle as country music singer Hank Williams Jr. flew in to pay his respects. Even when he came to federal court, he was wearing bib overalls. Suttons exhumed body was transported via horse-drawn carriage to his property in Parrotsville, Tenn., where he remains today. Released in 2008 and broadcast on 'CBS,' the documentary received a 'Southeast Emmy Award' in 2009. RIP. 'It was beyond surreal'When he pleaded guilty, it was his fifth conviction. 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. His daughter claimed that he had told her in advance that he would kill himself rather than go to jail. On March 16, 2009, Sutton committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning. [7], Sutton was featured in the 2007 documentary Hillbilly: The Real Story on The History Channel. Popcorn had just one question for the stranger. In 1974, he was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and charged with multiple violations. But this wasnt Santa Clausit was the towns most notorious outlaw, Popcorn Sutton, and he was passing out his annual present: a shiny silver dollar for each cop on the force. In March 2009, Sutton, 62, died of carbon monoxide poisoning. 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. 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. My deputies wouldnt bother him, Moore, a clean-cut retiree in a pink polo shirt, tells me. His fate would be sealed in that manner. But Popcorn had fallen on hard times and ended up drinking and talking with Grosser for days. Furthermore, many of these moonshine stills are hidden in rural areas, allowing visitors to experience the moonshine culture in these states. He said Nobody else could be that handsome We both laughed and he proceeded to tell me how he got his Name. If you are going to produce moonshine, you must carefully follow his recipe and instructions. In addition to organizing the Mountain Music Festival and the Moonshiners Reunion, Bill plays the guitar and organizes gig events. And Fontes, despite angering some locals for busting Popcorn, eventually became sheriff, a post he maintains today. Facebook gives people the power to. Sutton was convicted multiple times for selling moonshine without a license. Fontes hadnt anticipated adding to Popcorns criminal record until April 24, 2007, when he spotted smoke billowing up from the woods. 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.'. Popcorns attire rarely varied: overalls, a flannel shirt and gray brimmed hat, occasionally adorned with a squirrel tail. Is Pam St. Clement Dead or Still Alive? View the profiles of people named Pam Sutton. I dont care if he come in drunk or anything. But Moore kept their friendship on the DL so as not to anger the more conservative locals. He apparently got right back to work. gotta love popcorns sarcastic wit. My favorite place of hanging out, how not the kitchen! NFTs Simplified > Uncategorized > is pam sutton still alive. According to the Knoxville News Sentinel, she and her father spoke on the phone occasionally. P.O. The exact amount is unknown, but it is thought to be in the millions. The lawsuit was settled in 2014. After Popcorn Suttons death in 2009, Pam Sutton took over the family business and has continued to produce moonshine using her husbands recipes and methods. DK. As Hank Williams Jr. says of Popcorn, This guy was real Appalachian Americana. In 2010, she began distilling and distributing Hank Williams Jr.s whiskey with him. Pam Sutton had that steadfast determination and through her incredible penmanship, we can still see just how fast and who won and who . In fact, he came from a long line of bootleggers. Sutton was convicted of tax evasion after his property was damaged by fire in 2007. "She's stiff as a board. Pams early years were spent working on her familys tobacco farm. He used the freshest white corn for his mash and the coldest, cleanest stream water. We have a lot of people come to Maggie Valley that want to meet Popcorn.. Ever since the death of her former partner Jim, Pam gradually avoided appearance in the media. Moreover, she is also not on social media which makes it further difficult to track down her life at present. I walked over and asked if he was the man on the Postcard. The Smoky Mountain News is a wholly private corporation. [39] At the time of the announcement, it had not been decided whether the Popcorn Sutton brands would continue to be produced under contract by the distillery or not.[39]. Later he and Sutton even built stills together, and during my visit Moore shows me one of many he recently made. The charges also included tax evasion and transportation of an illegal substance. [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. While Sutton made his career out of this illegal trade, his rise to massive fame didnt happen until he was about 60 years old. Every time Sutton finished filling a barrel, he would give Nick a gallon and sell the rest to him. Pam St. Clement was born on May 21, 1942 and is 80 years old now. 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. Whiskey consumption has grown over the last few years as people seek out new flavors and styles of moonshine. At a time when moonshining and bootlegging were considered illicit in the United States, Sutton established his empire with just one barrel. In March 2008, Sutton informed an undercover federal officer about the moonshine gallons in Tennessee and Maggie Valley, which he wanted to trade. Pamela and Tommy had a whirlwind romance. Popcorn was unique. According to the Internal Revenue Service, the estate of Kate Sutton is valued at around $500 thousand. A long illness claimed the life of a beloved son on December 1, 2021. He went to his grave in a pine casket he bought years ago and kept in a bedroom. On March 16, 2009, the 48-year-old Sutton committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning. TULSA, Okla. (AP) Patsy Sutton, the matriarch of a family of college basketball coaches, has died in Oklahoma at age 74. Regina has plans to release her own moonshine based on her dads secret recipe with a local microdistillery near her home in Anchorage, where she now works as a trauma surgeon (a job that was inspired by the day she saw the guy at her daddys house with a knife in his neck). "Of course he did. Suttons will stated that the money was to be used to support the continuance of my lifes work. This work includes the production of moonshine, which is illegal in the United States. moonshine was legal in the United States for the first time in a year shortly before Popcorn Sutton died of cancer. He was also known for being convicted of crimes related to moonshining and illegal firearm possession. [7], Sutton died by suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning on March 16, 2009, apparently to avoid a federal prison term due to begin a few days later. 33 Years old foodie & cookie lover. The grave of the last American outlaw sits off a dirt road in the backwoods of Maggie Valley, North Carolina, the hillbilly haven where Marvin Popcorn Sutton, the most notorious moonshiner ever, lived and died in the wildest of ways. Popcorn lives on but now in a rural mountain in northern Tennessee. Born In: Maggie Valley, North Carolina, United States, place of death: Parrottsville, Tennessee, United States, See the events in life of Popcorn Sutton in Chronological Order, (American Appalachian Moonshiner and Bootlegger), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tyS_HvhtyU&list=PLHk8dXrmYkn-hhIVi9dwmgJzD4v1sr35c&index=2, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13PsE_rQ74k, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohiSPSoG8tY, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glQjCKAI4gA, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfUDVqWMhWs&list=FL8CkDIqZ9eTNus6-gghDO_w&index=24. 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. Kobe Bryant and his family (Getty) Both his father and grandfather were police officers and his career has . 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. How Old Is Pam St. Clement? She was one of six children born to a sharecropper and a housewife. The boy's mother's boyfriend has admitted to beating the child and is expected to face additional charges In addition to serving probation after being caught with over 650 gallons of moonshine, he was also convicted of selling alcohol without a license. Jack Daniels claimed they copied the label and design of their product in violation of its intellectual property. Box 629, Waynesville, NC 28786 828.452.4251. [40] The CEO of Popcorn Sutton Distilling is Megan Kvamme. Told to report to prisonSutton's widow said he'd just gotten a letter to report Friday to a medium-security federal prison in south Georgia to begin an 18-month sentence for illegally producing distilled spirits and being a felon in possession of a gun. Still, Popcorn has retained close ties to Maggie Valley, and the town is often viewed as the main stomping ground of the mountains most infamous shiner.

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