It was an absolute honor to meet him. Popcorn Sutton is an American legend! Despite being on probation, Popcorn defiantly refused to give up his trade. I can brag about one thing, Popcorn once said in his thick Southern drawl. 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. Popcorn Suttons real name is Marvin Sutton. Since his death, a new company, as well as an associated whiskey brand, has been launched in his memory. [12][13]) At around the same time, Sutton produced a home video of the same title and released it on VHS tape. 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. In 1985, he was convicted again for a felony assault with a weapon with intent, for which he received another three-year sentence. He apparently got right back to work. 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. The federal govt. His self-published autobiography, Me and My Likker, described the amazing journey of moonshine production. 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. And Fontes, despite angering some locals for busting Popcorn, eventually became sheriff, a post he maintains today. [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." Some people have questioned whether or not Pam Sutton is worthy of the money she has been left. 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. P.O. 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. However, on October 24, 2009, it was relocated to his property in Parrottsville, and a private memorial service was held. Did you know anything about Popcorn Sutton that we missed? Facebook gives people the power to share. Popcorns wife used both original bottles and they are currently available for eBay purchase. Sutton was convicted of tax evasion after his property was damaged by fire in 2007. The outlaw spirit soared during Prohibition, when demand for moonshine exploded and bootlegging familieslike NASCAR racer Junior Johnsons and the brothers in this falls Lawlessbecame revered. I picked one up and realized the man sitting in the corner bye himself was the Legend ! 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. Sutton was found at the age of 62 in his parked green Ford Fairmont with the engine running. Did Popcorn ever have a wife? Popcorn Sutton Wife Death Sutton's daughter later revealed that Sutton had once told her mother that he would prefer dying than going to jail. If you are able, please support The Smoky Mountain News. But even for this seasoned veteran of the force, Popcorn stood out. Jim Tom, his moonshine, was estimated to be worth more than $20 million. One of Popcorns closest and oldest friends was the countys most legendary sheriff, Tooney Moore, who shared his conviction that moonshine was an important part of the local heritage. Would loved to have known Popcorn. I can relate to that, as I am the same way. He committed suicide in 2009 as a result of cancer treatment. This time, the local cops would be of no help. Per NBC News, the famed moonshiner and bootlegger Popcorn Sutton died by suicide, possibly to avoid serving time in federal prison. However, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) raided the spots. Then there was the alleged attack on Willie Ferguson, a local musician who reportedly made the mistake of crossing Popcorn. Lunn and Henley and the other employees of the distillery became employees of the Sazerac Company. In March 2009, Sutton, 62, died of carbon monoxide poisoning. After separating from his second wife Heather Locklear, Tommy met Pam and the two fell hard and fast. As of 2022, she has not appeared in the media for a long time. To distinguish himself from the competition, he took pride in quality. In 2007, Sutton was caught with over 650 gallons of moonshine by local Cocke County authorities. Read Also: Legend or lawbreaker: The real story of Popcorn Sutton. Pamela M. Sutton-Wallace serves as Director of the Company. [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. In this article we'll look back at her success and reveal what comes next for the hard-working Black actress. Stanley established The Starchild character for his Kiss persona. Sutton had a long career making moonshine and bootlegging. The couple had three children together, but Popcorn Suttons moonshining operation often took him away from home for long periods of time. She even went so far as to testify on his behalf at his sentencing hearing. She has a Netflix doc, 'Pamela, A Love Story,' and book out now. Popcorn Sutton was married to Pam Sutton. NFTs Simplified > Uncategorized > is pam sutton still alive. 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. Sutton Popcorn Company retains the right to use the name in some capacity. Read Also: Is Moonshiners real? People in the community didnt know how close we was, and I wouldnt tell em, Moore admits. Sutton earned massive fame as a liquor king by the time he turned 60. Popcorn Sutton, an American moonshiner and bootlegger, lived in the United States from 1946 to 2009. Filmed in one week in June, 2002, less than seven years before infamous moonshiner Marvin, People have been making moonshine almost since the day water started running downhill,, Attendees of this years Hillbilly Winter Jam kicked off the annual fest with a special, On a frosty Appalachian mountain morning in 1962, 22-year-old Waynesville man Charles. Sutton was first interred at a family graveyard in Mount Sterling, North Carolina. 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. His thick shaggy beard and slight frame completed the prototypical image of a backwoods mountaineer. "She's stiff as a board. However, Sutton continued producing liquor barrels, and the business eventually grew more prominent. According to the report, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama have the most moonshiners, with a combined total of 1,634 stills seized by law enforcement. [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. Suttons exhumed body was transported via horse-drawn carriage to his property in Parrotsville, Tenn., where he remains today. When I heard how Popcorn was treated and that he wanted me to be involved in carrying on his legacy, I was immediately in. The life and persona of Marvin Popcorn Sutton, a world-famous moonshiner and North Carolina native, are known to all. In 2010, Hank Williams, Jr. announced a partnership with J.M. To elude the cops, he switched up the cars oftenit was a 46 Willis Jeep one trip, a 53 Ford convertible the next. They should have been focused on crimes that out weighed hi. But he was also the sweetest, kindest, most loving man I ever met in my life.". DK. $50. 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. 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. They should of left him alone he was part of our great history, 2021 The Smoky Mountain News. "The way she's breathing is just freaking me the f-k out, man" Josh said during the scary experience. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. View Pam Sutton results including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. The Smoky Mountain News is a wholly private corporation. Its a phrase he cut into his headstone when he was still alive. The pulley consists of two ropes attached to a pair of Timberland boots, so that Pams legs could be more easily hoisted in the air. How Old - Age: 80. [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. "Nobody was going to tell him what to do," Sky told Knox News in 2009. But Popcorn, who seemed unusually sullen to Grosser, had other plans. Through it all, there was just one thing that guided him: his likker (as he liked to spell it). A long illness claimed the life of a beloved son on December 1, 2021. [37], In March 2015, it was announced that John Lunn, who had until then been master distiller of George Dickel Tennessee whiskey since 2005, would be joining Popcorn Sutton Distilling as its new master distiller. The Feds killed him. However, he always received only probation sentences. 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. 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] Glass and Silversmithing Arts. They dated for a month before getting married. 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. He became well-known as a liquor king well into his 60s. He was a moonshine maker as well as Popcorn Sutton Moonshines creator, collaborating with his father. This led the firefighters to discover 650 gallons of untaxed alcohol. Interestingly, just a year after Sutton died, moonshining was legalized in the US. Sutton, an infamous moonshiner, had been trying to outrun revenuers for more than three decades now. My mother-in-law Pam Sutton suffered a massive stroke on 9/15/22. He was really just a back hill shiner. Popcorn has never been secretive about his tendency for making moonshine. And his bib overalls he always wore bib overalls. Sutton began his moonshining and bootlegging empire with just one barrel, that too, at a time when they were considered illicit businesses in the US. We were deeply saddened to learn of JB Raders and Bill Owens deaths. But the truth is, moonshine is a dangerous health issue and breeds other crime. He honed the perfection of the craft, much like his father and grandfather had before him. Concepts LLC and Pam Sutton, the widow of Hank Williams, to create a line of whiskey named after her. That man went out in a blaze of glory, and flipping his finger as we went," she said. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/popcorn-sutton-46282.php. Im here to follow the path of Suttons exhumed bones and unravel the mystery behind this modern-day legend. Yes, I do, Grosser replied.Then come on in. It is also critical to use the proper amount of sugar in each batch of moonshine to make it safe to drink. 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. He would sell a gallon of alcohol for just 6 dollars. However, most believe it was either due to vandalism of the original site or a family dispute with his widow. Join Facebook to connect with Pam Sutton and others you may know. He was eating a piece of Blueberry pie. Haywood mans presidential pardon reveals systemic inequities, Town of Waynesville will pursue staggered terms for aldermen, SCC grad inspires latest New Century Scholars. IE 11 is not supported. The states with the most moonshiners, on the other hand, are not among the top five for per capita moonshine production. But while the cops may not have pursued his bootlegging aggressively, Popcorn got himself in hot water nonetheless. But this shit right here goes right back to the crooked shit that's been going on before I was born. 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. See top. The book also offers a better understanding of how the people of the region survived. On March 16, 2009, Sutton committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning. The company and whiskey brand associated with him have been renamed after him since he died. He said a Vending machine in a bar took his money and didnt give him his popcorn! The most notable thing about the grave? But how well do you really know the legend of Popcorn Sutton? By deadorkicking.com Editorial Team. Joe and Pam were not present for Kobe's final NBA game, nor were they in attendance for his jersey retirement ceremony in 2017. A small memorial was also held for close friends and family. He was quite a Character. 1. 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. 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. She added that the prison sentence and a cancer diagnosis might have had influenced his decision. Her husbands whiskey was produced and sold by Hank Williams Jr. and she began selling it as a stand-alone product in 2010. Urban drinks are featured. Select the best result to find their address, phone number, relatives, and public records. Damian Sutton, 2, has died at a Detroit hospital after being taken off life support. 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). Sutton followed her husband to coaching stops at College of Southern Idaho, Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky and . [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. He wore a long gray beard, faded overalls, checkered shirt and feathered fedora. Kobe Bryant and his family (Getty) Children. Popcorn Suttons story is both tragic and a testament to the ravages of cancer that cancer can cause. In 2017, Sutton's Parrottsville estate caught fire. JB, who was best known for his role as Shin Shinshiners in the reality show, died late last year from a long illness. They were not invited. In a cabin Popcorn built in the woods, I swill from an old jar of his cinnamon and cider apple pie moonshine with Ernestine Upchurch, a bawdy older woman in white pants and a polka-dot shirt, who dated Popcorn prior to his marriage and describes herself as the love of his life. 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: My deputies wouldnt bother him, Moore, a clean-cut retiree in a pink polo shirt, tells me. There arent any more not in his form or fashion, thats for sure., Julia Merchant contributed to this article. From that moment on, the locals called him Popcorna reminder that this was one moonshiner you didnt want to cross. At a time when moonshining and bootlegging were considered illicit in the United States, Sutton established his empire with just one barrel. The lawsuit was settled in 2014. Crime, whiskey & homemade sex machines: The life, death and legacy of Popcorn Sutton, Americas greatest moonshiner. He received a five-year sentence. Showed how to make moonshineHe wrote a paperback called "Me and My Likker" and recorded videos on how to make moonshine. 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). We dont plan to change that model. Lawlessness around here still persists, with poverty, crystal meth, and alcoholism rampant. Is Popcorn Sutton still alive? I met him once at his little shack in Cherokee. Whiskey production became ingrained in early Appalachian culture, thanks in part to the regions perfect climate for growing sweet corn. Marvin Suttons legend began when he beat up the snack machine with a pool cue. Sutton'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. by Loyola Martinez | Dec 28, 2022 | Popcorn. Later, in 1981, Sutton was convicted and sentenced in the Haywood County Superior Court in North Carolina for felony possession of a controlled substance. Probably because its still illegal to make shine. 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. Two of Suttons other documentaries, 'Popcorn Sutton: A Hell of a Life' and 'Squzz Corn N' Ole Scratch' (short), were released in 2014 and 2012, respectively, after his death. 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. Sutton's memorial grew in spectacle as country music singer Hank Williams Jr. flew in to pay his respects. The History Channel featured him in a 2007 documentary called "Hillbilly: The Real Story.". 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). June 5, 2022 Posted by: Category: Uncategorized; No Comments . In Maggie Valley, he opened an antique shop as a front, soon a destination for eager buyers from across the region. In March 2008, Sutton informed an undercover federal officer about the moonshine gallons in Tennessee and Maggie Valley, which he wanted to trade. However, Popcorn's estranged daughter Sky Sutton believed her father died by his terms. The brand now uses a clear, round bottle with a smaller label. Today, Sky Sutton is a published author, historian and genealogist. It was said he did this to avoid the federal prison term that was supposed to start a few days later. TULSA, Okla. (AP) Patsy Sutton, the matriarch of a family of college basketball coaches, has died in Oklahoma at age 74. Pam has worked for NSW Police for 11 years as a General Administrative Support Officer. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Pamela and Tommy had a whirlwind romance. Sutton was convicted multiple times for selling moonshine without a license. The company that sold Popcorn Sutton branded products, on the other hand, continues to sell them directly to consumers. Popcorn lives on but now in a rural mountain in northern Tennessee. The revised version of the book includes details of his death. Filmed and released in 2002, the film quickly became a cult classic and over time drew the attention of television producers in Boston and New York. 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. Sutton committed suicide 2 years after their marriage. Back then, he lived on Snowbird Mountain. [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. [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. Sutton appeared in several documentaries including This is the Last Dam Run of Likker Ill Ever Make (featured below). He appeared in the Western film Ghost Town: The Movie, in addition to his roles in the films Ghost Town: The Movie and Ghost Town: The Movie. His archive footage was featured in a 2016 documentary series, Moonshiners. Pamela Sutton's passing has been publicly announced by Good Sipler Funeral & Cremation Centre, Inc. in Reamstown, PA.Legacy invites you to offer condolences and share memories of Pamela in the Gue This left Pam to raise their children largely on her own. 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. His zodiac sign was Libra, which is distinguished by assertiveness and submissiveness on both sides. We have a lot of people come to Maggie Valley that want to meet Popcorn.. Paul Stanley (born Stanley Bert Eisen; January 20, 1952) is an American musician who is the co-founder, frontman, rhythm guitarist and co-lead vocalist of the hard rock band Kiss.He is the writer or co-writer of many of the band's most popular songs. Popcorns nickname dates to a barroom brawl between himself and a popcorn machine. Either way, months later, his wife Pam held a large public memorial service, which Hank Williams Jr. famously attended. He always lived a death-before-dishonor kind of life." Copyright 2023 Distractify. 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. Famed Appalachian moonshiner Marvin "Popcorn" Sutton, whose incorrigible bootlegging ways were as out of step with modern times as his hillbilly beard and overalls, took his own life rather than go to prison for making white lightning, his widow says. The story of the life of Popcorn Sutton shows that Americans are still not really free! 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. View the web story version of this article here. In the 90s he authored a ribald autobiography, Me and My Likker, which he sold on the Internet. He was selling some stuff. Jack Daniels claimed they copied the label and design of their product in violation of its intellectual property. He later paid him back with liquor. His wife, Pam Sutton, whom he married just two years prior, had returned from running errands when she found him. Is Pam Sutton Still Alive Pamela Anderson is alive and well. Sutton also produced a home video of the same name, which he released on VHS tape. Popcorns stuff wasnt just cleanit was so tasty that locals treasure their last mason jars of it to this day. 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. If you are going to produce moonshine, you must carefully follow his recipe and instructions. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her. Pamela Sutton We found 100+ records for Pamela Sutton in NY, MI and 41 other states. 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.
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