He was placed on probation. Making likker. 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. How Old Is Pam St. Clement? In 2010, Hank Williams, Jr. announced a partnership with J.M. Click here to find personal data about Pamela Sutton including phone numbers, addresses, directorships, electoral roll information, related property prices and other useful information. Sutton was first interred at a family graveyard in Mount Sterling, North Carolina. 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. Popcorn Suttons story is both tragic and a testament to the ravages of cancer that cancer can cause. After separating from his second wife Heather Locklear, Tommy met Pam and the two fell hard and fast. Offers may be subject to change without notice. So he Wooped the hell out of it with a pool stick. The man behind the raid was one of the countrys most infamous ATF agents, James Cavanaugh (a fellow Tennessean, who became known for leading the Waco and Unabomber raids), and he vowed to take Popcorn down. As only a legend would be, Popcorn Sutton was actually buried twice. In Maggie Valley, he opened an antique shop as a front, soon a destination for eager buyers from across the region. Because of its high alcohol content, moonshine is not typically sold in stores, but instead is consumed at home or by bar patrons who want to imbibe in a spirit with a distinct flavor profile. Its easy to spot Popcorn Sutton, also known as Marvin, if youre looking for legendary moonshiners. But how well do you really know the legend of Popcorn Sutton? When Popcorn Sutton was sentenced to jail in 2009 for moonshining, Pam stood by her husband. He ran a PVC pipe from the exhaust of his Ford Fairlane into his window and sealed it up with duct tape. But the young cop, whod seen the ravaging effects of drugs and alcohol on the locals, didnt comply. Marvin Suttons legend began when he beat up the snack machine with a pool cue. On Monday, she came home from running errands and found him dead in his old Ford. In fact, he came from a long line of bootleggers. [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]. Cutie Pie survived a snake bite in 2017. I dont want moonshine to die with me, he told Grosser as they stood near the casket that Popcorn kept in his house for his final day. She added that the prison sentence and a cancer diagnosis might have had influenced his decision. The History Channel featured him in a 2007 documentary called "Hillbilly: The Real Story.". He considered moonshining his birth rite. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her. Jim Tom, his moonshine, was estimated to be worth more than $20 million. 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. As Fontes learned, Popcorn had a long history of cozying up to the police and avoiding prosecution for making untaxed whiskey. On October 24, 2009, his body was moved to his Parrottsville estate. [37] In July 2016, it was announced Allisa Henley, long time employee and Master Distiller at George Dickel, would join John Lunn at Popcorn Sutton Distilling. He often bragged that he ran more whiskey than Jack Daniel. He detailed his brew-making exploits in the book Me and My Likker, and in a self-produced video The Last Run of Likker Ill Ever Make. Hes even been known to autograph Mason jars of moonshine. He made his home in Cocke County, where cockfighting and moonshining are legend. This is the Last Dam Run of Likker Ill Ever Make, The Greenbrier Gatlinburg: The best and most haunted restaurant in town, Dign Zone construction theme park coming soon to Sevierville TN, Is Mountain Monsters Real? The federal govt. Since his death, a new company and associated whiskey brand have been named after him. Through it all, there was just one thing that guided him: his likker (as he liked to spell it). This is one of the internets most popular searches about Sutton. View the profiles of people named Pamela Sutton. 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. His thick shaggy beard and slight frame completed the prototypical image of a backwoods mountaineer. Pam was a loving wife and mother who was always there for her family. For now, let's learn about Popcorn Sutton and his cause of death. Pam Sutton, who became Sutton's fourth wife in 2007, said carbon monoxide may be the method but that's not what killed him. 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. 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. She uses several glassmaking techniques to create decorative, as well as functional . Pam Sutton had that steadfast determination and through her incredible penmanship, we can still see just how fast and who won and who . 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. Pam Grier is the undisputed queen of the 1970s Blaxploitation films. Furthermore, many of these moonshine stills are hidden in rural areas, allowing visitors to experience the moonshine culture in these states. You can also show off your personality to your friends and family by tasting it in a different way than any other spirit. After meeting at a New Year's Eve party in 1994 . As the story goes, Fergusons body was found on the side of the road, left for dead after having his throat slit. Sutton was sentenced to 18 months in prison in January 2009 for tax evasion. "He did it his way. [2] (A woman named Ernestine Upchurch, with whom Sutton had been living in the 1990s, later said she helped write the book. If Suttons prison sentence seems light considering his many crimes, it was in part due to his age. I sounded like absinthe. This led the firefighters to discover 650 gallons of untaxed alcohol. "I just hope and pray they don't send me off (to prison).". In 2009, he chose suicide in order to avoid going to prison, and he was diagnosed with cancer the following year. However, most believe it was either due to vandalism of the original site or a family dispute with his widow. The couple had three children together, but Popcorn Suttons moonshining operation often took him away from home for long periods of time. "It was beyond surreal," she said Wednesday. Birthday: May 21, 1942. In 2009, he committed suicide to avoid going to jail, and because of his cancer diagnosis, he died. 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. [39] Copper stills for the facility were made by Vendome Copper and Brass in Louisville, Kentucky. 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. 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. Marvin was a kind of cultural icon and an embodiment of moonshine yore when it comes to producing the liquor. Sutton's daughter later revealed that Sutton had once told her mother that he would prefer dying than going to jail. "Of course he did. American moonshiner and bootlegger (19462009), "New Movie Focuses on WNC Moonshiner Popcorn Sutton", "Yesterday's Moonshiner, Today's Microdistiller", "Legendary Tennessee Moonshiner Plied His Trade to the End", "Widow: Moonshiner took his life to avoid prison", "Family of legendary moonshiner hoped his sentence would be reduced", "The Moonshiner Popcorn Sutton | IndieBound.org", "Golden Moment: Bulletin: NC State University", "Cane In Hand, 'Popcorn' Sutton Is Sentenced To 18 Months", United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, "Waco 20 Years Later: The ATF Raid - Dallas News | myFOXdfw.com", "Daughter says independence likely led to moonshiner's suicide", "Estranged daughter remembers 'Popcorn' Sutton", "Hundreds honor memory of legendary moonshiner", "6 surprising facts about Popcorn Sutton and his moonshine", "16th Annual Winners | National Indie Excellence Awards | California", "Hank Williams, Jr. He seemed kind and good, not perfect but who is? Popcorn Sutton Wife Death Crime, whiskey & homemade sex machines: The life, death and legacy of Popcorn Sutton, Americas greatest moonshiner. It is also critical to use the proper amount of sugar in each batch of moonshine to make it safe to drink. 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.'. [7] He said he had considered a harsher sentence of 24 months, but had decided on 18 months after considering Sutton's age and medical condition. The book also offers a better understanding of how the people of the region survived. 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. Whiskey consumption has grown over the last few years as people seek out new flavors and styles of moonshine. With all his knowledge about shine and his love for animals, especially cats, that makes him number one in my book. Word soon spread that Popcorn and another man cut him after a fight and took his fiddle. Pam Sutton was born in 1951 in the small town of Maggie Valley, North Carolina. He also appeared in the Western 'Ghost Town: The Movie.' Popcorn Suttons wife, Pam, died in 2009 after a long battle with cancer. Others view him as a criminal. [20] Mrs. Sutton said, "He called it his three-jar car because he gave three jugs of liquor for it. By deadorkicking.com Editorial Team. Is Pam St. Clement Dead or Still Alive? Would loved to have known Popcorn. On March 16, 2009, Sutton, a resident of Northbridge, England, died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning. The net worth of Andy Sutton is unknown, but some sources claim that he was worth as much as $13 million when he died in 1993. Haywood mans presidential pardon reveals systemic inequities, Town of Waynesville will pursue staggered terms for aldermen, SCC grad inspires latest New Century Scholars. Autopsy results may be weeks away. Pam Sutton, the wife of the late moonshiner Popcorn Sutton, has been left with a large sum of money following her husbands death. As Hank Williams Jr. says of Popcorn, This guy was real Appalachian Americana. Although he passed away a few years before the show premiered, the series used previous documentary footage shot by director Neal Hutcheson for his own films, allowing fans to see the legendary moonshiner in his natural habitat. His wife reported that he had once told her that he would do this, rather than go to jail. See top. Later he and Sutton even built stills together, and during my visit Moore shows me one of many he recently made. 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. He gained fame as a moonshiner and bootlegger in the United States at a time when illicit businesses were the norm. DK. Sutton died by suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning in March 2009, aged 62, rather than report to federal prison[according to whom?] My deputies wouldnt bother him, Moore, a clean-cut retiree in a pink polo shirt, tells me. Crime, whiskey & homemade sex machines: The life, death and legacy of Popcorn Sutton, Americas greatest moonshiner. 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. 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. 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. His wife Pam, whom he had married about two years before his death,[11][14] returned home from running errands and discovered her husband in his green Ford Fairmont (which was still running) at the rear of their property in Parrottsville, Tennessee. 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). She was taken to upstate where she remained there for a a week and worked so hard to come home. He received a five-year sentence. Popcorn told him he sold that much all the time and, after bragging about his whiskey and his guns, sent the man away with 80 gallons of his own. [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." The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States has released a report ranking the top moonshine states. They should have been focused on crimes that out weighed hi. Sutton was convicted multiple times for selling moonshine without a license. Spring 2023 enrollment at Western Carolina Univers Waynesville is Haywood Countys only municipal g Jake Tallent vividly remembers the impact that the Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority received a v Book reading, film screening to commemorate Popcorn Sutton, As long as water runs downhill: The story of Popcorn Sutton, Hillbilly Jammers get high on the mountain, Pardon me? [24] He had also prepared a footstone in advance for his gravesite, and for years he had kept it by his front porch and had kept his casket ready in his living room. According to filmmaker Neal Hutcheson, Sutton remains an intriguing figure. 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. Read Also: Is Moonshiners real? Popcorn was one of a kind, a man who told it like it was! says Williams. What did his Mom put in the moonshine to make medicine, that Popcorn got addicted to? Spouse. I dont believe it or not, but the vast majority of it happened in the last few decades. [33] Dubbed "Popcorn Sutton's Tennessee White Whiskey", it was marketed as having been produced on stills designed by Sutton using his secret family recipe and techniques Sutton entrusted to former Supercross professional Jamey Grosser of J&M Concepts. 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. He published the book at his junk shop in Maggie Valley. They were not invited. When he took it back home what happen to it?? Sutton was found at the age of 62 in his parked green Ford Fairmont with the engine running. Popcorns stuff wasnt just cleanit was so tasty that locals treasure their last mason jars of it to this day. 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: 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. JB, who was best known for his role as Shin Shinshiners in the reality show, died late last year from a long illness. People had to make a living somehow back then I guess. Months before his conviction, Sutton reportedly had a mental breakdown after being diagnosed with cancer. Yes, I do, Grosser replied.Then come on in. Small batches of this alcohol are typically made and can contain 40 to 80 percent alcohol by volume. Per NBC News, the famed moonshiner and bootlegger Popcorn Sutton died by suicide, possibly to avoid serving time in federal prison. But even for this seasoned veteran of the force, Popcorn stood out. Popcorn Sutton, an American moonshiner and bootlegger, lived in the United States from 1946 to 2009. However, Popcorn's estranged daughter Sky Sutton believed her father died by his terms. The story of the life of Popcorn Sutton shows that Americans are still not really free! Stanley was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 as a member of . Pam St. Clement Birthday. Select the best result to find their address, phone number, relatives, and public records. 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. He was convicted of moonshining and illegal firearms possession as a result of his moonshining conviction. Could it still be set up, as a shrine monument?? On December 1, 2021, a long illness claimed the life of a dear friend. 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. In December 2016, Popcorn Sutton Distillery was sold to the alcoholic beverage company 'Sazerac Company.'. 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. He became well-known as a liquor king well into his 60s. Sutton followed her husband to coaching stops at College of Southern Idaho, Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky and . But he was also the sweetest, kindest, most loving man I ever met in my life.". 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. The boy's mother's boyfriend has admitted to beating the child and is expected to face additional charges Is Popcorn Sutton still alive? Popcorn Suttons real name is Marvin Sutton. That man went out in a blaze of glory, and flipping his finger as we went," she said. 33 Years old foodie & cookie lover. Angel Sutton is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Glen Sutton. 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. They had two daughters. As part of his undercover investigation, an undercover federal officer discovered that Sutton had 500 gallons of moonshine in his possession. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. 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. If you have a question about contributing to SMN, please contact us. 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. He had pleaded guilty last April. "Nobody was going to tell him what to do," Sky told Knox News in 2009. To distinguish himself from the competition, he took pride in quality. Even when he came to federal court, he was wearing bib overalls. On October 25, 2013, Tennessee whiskey brand Jack Daniel's Properties sued Popcorn Sutton's whiskey brand for copying their newly redesigned bottle. She has a Netflix doc, 'Pamela, A Love Story,' and book out now. In 1999, he launched his self-published autobiography, 'Me and My Likker,' which also chronicled the incredible journey of moonshine production. Bell Mary. During a fire in one of Suttons properties in 2007, firefighters discovered a large cache of untaxed liquor hidden in the attic. , 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. This Diner had postcards of him for sale next to the cash register . She has shown her strength and resilience in the face of adversity, and she is a deserving recipient of the money her husband left behind. In 2017, Sutton's Parrottsville estate caught fire. To start the business, Sutton borrowed money from Nick Price. 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. 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. Why not just leave it up in a shrine like ritual for all to see?? Moonshine is romanticized in folklore and in the movies, Cavanaugh declared. "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. She hadn't seen him since she was 2, though they had talked on the phone. Sutton was in a live-in relationship with Ernestine Upchurch, who later helped him write his autobiography. [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". On the day of his death, a fan wrote on Twitter, "Toasting the passing of the famous moonshiner Popcorn Sutton. [8][9] In 1998 his roadside store in Maggie Valley, NC was searched by state agents, who seized a moonshine still and sixty gallons of moonshine, and Sutton was again placed on probation with a suspended sentence. Stanley established The Starchild character for his Kiss persona. Maggie Valley lost a friend and an ambassador, said James Carver, a long-time friend of Popcorns and a Maggie Valley native. Sutton was born Marvin Sutton, on October 5, 1946, in the tiny town of Maggie Valley, North Carolina, to Bonnie and Vader. If the strangers seemed trustworthy, Popcorn would take their cash, about $40 per gallon at his peak, and tell them to pick up their moonshine from one of his secret drop boxes hidden in the woods: a baby casket or an old toilet. What does this report reveal about the states with the most moonshiners? But while the cops may not have pursued his bootlegging aggressively, Popcorn got himself in hot water nonetheless. His gravesite footstone reads "Popcorn Said Fuck You.'' . And his bib overalls he always wore bib overalls. Facebook gives people the power to share. A few hours earlier she had buried Sutton, 62, in a private ceremony in the mountains around Haywood County, N.C., where he grew up. [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]. Popcorn had just one question for the stranger. Facebook gives people the power to. [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. I enjoyed watching his video it was entertaining to watch this man a Legend from the past a way of life how he fed and took care of his family. Glass and Silversmithing Arts. Reports vary on why he was exhumed and reburied. 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. 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.