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. The Feds killed him. [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. In 2007, Sutton was caught with over 650 gallons of moonshine by local Cocke County authorities. Pam St. Clement was born on May 21, 1942 and is 80 years old now. It took his money, but didnt produce popcorn, eliciting a few swift blows from Sutton to crack open the machine. He wasn't just a poor old moonshiner trying to make a few dollars.". [4] The source footage from the 2002 documentary was also re-worked into another Hutcheson documentary, The Last One, which was released in 2008 and was broadcast on PBS. She was taken to upstate where she remained there for a a week and worked so hard to come home. Moreover, there were several petitions made to reduce his sentence. 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. The states with the most moonshiners, on the other hand, are not among the top five for per capita moonshine production. People had to make a living somehow back then I guess. Autopsy results may be weeks away. Fermented corn mash is used to make moonshine. Popcorn began making whiskey in his youth near what he called the Bend of the River, a leafy spot where, decades later, his empty grave would sit. 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: "He did it his way. His most recent conviction for selling over 650 gallons of moonshine resulted in him being placed on probation. He was well-known in the entertainment industry for his stage name and custom copper stills, and he made a name for himself. With all his knowledge about shine and his love for animals, especially cats, that makes him number one in my book. The company that sold Popcorn Sutton branded products, on the other hand, continues to sell them directly to consumers. June 5, 2022 Posted by: Category: Uncategorized; No Comments . In 1999, he launched his self-published autobiography, 'Me and My Likker,' which also chronicled the incredible journey of moonshine production. Popcorn was unique. According to filmmaker Neal Hutcheson, Sutton remains an intriguing figure. Aside from his white lightening, Popcorn was known for his crass language and feisty manner. Wud love to get me some of his mountain juice . [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. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. She underwent surgery and began her first round of chemotherapy. Did you know anything about Popcorn Sutton that we missed? 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. Marvin "Popcorn" Sutton (October 5, 1946 March 16, 2009) was an American Appalachian moonshiner and bootlegger. An hour after Grosser left the cabin with his paperwork, Popcorn built his final contraption. He hated the persona, says his widow, Pam Sutton. His self-published autobiography, Me and My Likker, described the amazing journey of moonshine production. 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. Its easy to spot Popcorn Sutton, also known as Marvin, if youre looking for legendary moonshiners. Popcorn ran an antique shop in Maggie Valley as recently as a few years ago, where one could supposedly buy a jar of moonshine it they asked the right way. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. "[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. I met him once at his little shack in Cherokee. All rights reserved. Popcorn Sutton did this in his capacity as the leader of Popcorn Sutton Inc. "I just hope and pray they don't send me off (to prison).". Months before his conviction, Sutton reportedly had a mental breakdown after being diagnosed with cancer. He was a part of the 2002 Neal Hutcheson film Moon moonshine, which focused on the illegal moonshine trade. 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. 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. 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. Spouse. Sutton was found at the age of 62 in his parked green Ford Fairmont with the engine running. He had pleaded guilty last April. Made a still for a museumJohn Rice Irwin, founder of the Museum of Appalachia in Norris, Tenn., recalled that Sutton made a still for the museum in the 1990s. He will continue to teach distilling techniques to distillers in North Carolina, as well as his music, which will be featured at both the moonshiners reunion and the Mountain Music Festival. At several points in my interviews, people would slip away and return with dusty jugs of Popcorns concoctions. Pam Suttons moonshine is still highly sought-after, and she has won multiple awards for her products. Among his many documentaries was one that won an Emmy for its portrayal of his unique personality. From that moment on, the locals called him Popcorna reminder that this was one moonshiner you didnt want to cross. She was one of six children born to a sharecropper and a housewife. Popcorn lives on but now in a rural mountain in northern Tennessee. In March 2008, Sutton informed an undercover federal officer about the moonshine gallons in Tennessee and Maggie Valley, which he wanted to trade. The charges also included tax evasion and transportation of an illegal substance. Following this, he was put on probation by Cocke County authorities. 4 mos. Since 2011, the show has followed the lives of individuals who produce moonshine in the Appalachian Mountains. As part of his undercover investigation, an undercover federal officer discovered that Sutton had 500 gallons of moonshine in his possession. Pam was a loving wife and mother who was always there for her family. A popcorn net worth of between one and seven million dollars is estimated for Sutton Popcorn. Pam Sutton had that steadfast determination and through her incredible penmanship, we can still see just how fast and who won and who . On December 1, 2021, a long illness claimed the life of a dear friend. He wore a long gray beard, faded overalls, checkered shirt and feathered fedora. Children. , Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, The Dangers Of Popcorn Lung: E-Cigarette Use Linked To Fatal Respiratory Illness, How To Prepare Your Airless Sprayer For Spraying Popcorn Ceilings, Adding Subtitles To A Movie On Popcorn Time, Popcorners: A Healthier Alternative To Traditional Snacks, Hoyts Offers Delicious Gluten-Free Popcorn For Movie-Goers With Dietary Restrictions, Sorghum Popcorn: A Delicious And Healthy Snack, The Shulmans Skinny Popcorn Is A Healthier Alternative To Traditional Popcorn, How Much Salt In Orville Redenbacker Popcorn. Popcorn Sutton, an American moonshiner and bootlegger, lived in the United States from 1946 to 2009. The epitaph on his footstone reads "Popcorn Said Fuck You".[14][25]. Pamela Sutton We found 100+ records for Pamela Sutton in NY, MI and 41 other states. He was a moonshiner and bootlegger from the United States Appalachian region. 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. He was also known for being convicted of crimes related to moonshining and illegal firearm possession. To start the business, Sutton borrowed money from Nick Price. Long hailed for her beauty and gutsy film roles, Grier is a Hollywood icon. My mother-in-law Pam Sutton suffered a massive stroke on 9/15/22. Inspired by the story, Grosser suggested they partner on a distillery and sell Popcorns moonshine legally. Pam Sutton, the wife of the late moonshiner Popcorn Sutton, has been left with a large sum of money following her husbands death. Popcorn had just one question for the stranger. He apparently got right back to work. Authorities began to investigate him without his consent. Popcorn Sutton is an American legend! 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. The federal govt. Grosser was just like any other fanboy whod come to meet the living legend and buy some hooch. Facebook gives people the power to. 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. Making moonshine is relatively simple and inexpensive if you have a pot that can hold at least 5 gallons of liquid and enough space to store the finished product. Box 629, Waynesville, NC 28786 828.452.4251. 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. Sutton followed her husband to coaching stops at College of Southern Idaho, Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky and . Popcorn Suttons wife, Pam, died in 2009 after a long battle with cancer. 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. When the federal government tried to tax the stuff in the late 1700s, the mountainside distillers violently fought back in what became known as the Whiskey Rebellion. 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. As the story goes, Fergusons body was found on the side of the road, left for dead after having his throat slit. However, he always received only probation sentences. As only a legend would be, Popcorn Sutton was actually buried twice. But Popcorn, who seemed unusually sullen to Grosser, had other plans. $50. Jim Tom, his moonshine, was estimated to be worth more than $20 million. Popcorn Sutton Wife Death Back then, he lived on Snowbird Mountain. Most of it happened in the last 20 years, if not longer. JB and South Mountain Distilling Co. began making moonshine in late 2018. by Loyola Martinez | Dec 28, 2022 | Popcorn. [41], In December 2016, the Popcorn Sutton Distillery was sold to the Sazerac Company. He comes from the old era, said Maggie Valley Police Chief Scott Sutton, describing Popcorn Sutton as the last of his breed. View the profiles of people named Pamela Sutton. Could it still be set up, as a shrine monument?? 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. He had got the footstone made in advance and had kept for years by his front porch. He had a wood burning stove inside. On March 16, 2009, Sutton committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning. [8][15] Sutton next appeared in another Hutcheson film that would become the cornerstone of his notoriety, called This is the Last Dam Run of Likker I'll Ever Make. 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.
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