So its no surprise that the law eventually caught up with him. [2][10][11] The New York Times later called it "a rambling, obscene, and often hilarious account of his life in the trade". On the day of his death, a fan wrote on Twitter, "Toasting the passing of the famous moonshiner Popcorn Sutton. When he took it back home what happen to 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. He used the freshest white corn for his mash and the coldest, cleanest stream water. 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. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Buyers came from miles around to sample his goods, and Popcorns celebrity grew. So there my personal opinion. Though he looked like Snuffy Smith, he had the mind of a mountain Edison and evolved his family still into an ingenious underground moonshine machine. Marvin was a kind of cultural icon and an embodiment of moonshine yore when it comes to producing the liquor. In 2007, a fire on Sutton's property in Parrottsville led to firefighters discovering 650 gallons of untaxed alcohol there, for which he was convicted and put on probation again by Cocke County authorities. Since his death, a new company and associated whiskey brand have been named after him. She told the Associated Press (per NBC): "He couldn't go to prison. The boy's mother's boyfriend has admitted to beating the child and is expected to face additional charges Following this, he was put on probation by Cocke County authorities. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. 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. 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. 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. On March 16, 2009, Sutton committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning. The charges also included tax evasion and transportation of an illegal substance. Sutton appeared in several documentaries including This is the Last Dam Run of Likker Ill Ever Make (featured below). When Popcorn Sutton was sentenced to jail in 2009 for moonshining, Pam stood by her husband. Popcorn Suttons wife, Pam, died in 2009 after a long battle with cancer. It was composed by photographer Don Dudenbostel. I dont believe it or not, but the vast majority of it happened in the last few decades. Sutton was first interred at a family graveyard in Mount Sterling, North Carolina. 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. A scrawny teen with big ears and droopy eyes, he had just watched the machine eat his quarters without dispensing his popcorn, so he whacked it repeatedly with his pool stick and broke the dang thing. [35] According to press reports, Popcorn Sutton's Tennessee White Whiskey would be initially distributed in Tennessee and throughout the southeast. 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: Its easy to spot Popcorn Sutton, also known as Marvin, if youre looking for legendary moonshiners. Per NBC News, the famed moonshiner and bootlegger Popcorn Sutton died by suicide, possibly to avoid serving time in federal prison. A third-generation moonshiner, born in 1946, Popcorn spent his life distilling the secret recipe for corn whiskey that his Scotch-Irish forefathers brought over centuries ago. 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. 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. 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. 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 seemed interesting and came out with some funny one liners. In 1982, Memphis Popcorn Sutton helped to found the industrys first terminal. Sutton's last arrest followed a raid in which authorities found nearly 1,700 gallons of moonshine in Parrottsville and a storage unit in Maggie Valley, N.C., three stills, supplies, firearms and ammunition. Sutton was found at the age of 62 in his parked green Ford Fairmont with the engine running. The brand now uses a clear, round bottle with a smaller label. [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]. 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 fact, he came from a long line of bootleggers. Fontes has just returned from raiding a local pot farm and is twirling a two-foot-long marijuana stalk in his hand like a billy club. Click here to find personal data about Pamela Sutton including phone numbers, addresses, directorships, electoral roll information, related property prices and other useful information. 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. Pam Sutton was born in 1951 in the small town of Maggie Valley, North Carolina. It will cost you between $30 and $40 in supplies, as well as time spent cooking and fermenting the corn. His white lightning wasnt just potent and sweetit was illegal. Among his many documentaries was one that won an Emmy for its portrayal of his unique personality. Sutton was sentenced to 18 months in prison in January 2009 for tax evasion. In 2017, Sutton's Parrottsville estate caught fire. Moonshining was legal in the United States for the first time a year after his death. 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. He was quite a Character. So credit the federal government for my husband being dead, I really do," she said. That's a big problem because now look where we're at. He was also known for being convicted of crimes related to moonshining and illegal firearm possession. 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. At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. [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. As Fontes learned, Popcorn had a long history of cozying up to the police and avoiding prosecution for making untaxed whiskey. He ran a PVC pipe from the exhaust of his Ford Fairlane into his window and sealed it up with duct tape. As Hank Williams Jr. says of Popcorn, This guy was real Appalachian Americana. We are not endorsed by, authorized by, or affiliated with any mentioned attractions. $50. But Popcorn had fallen on hard times and ended up drinking and talking with Grosser for days. Select the best result to find their address, phone number, relatives, and public records. Moreover, she is also not on social media which makes it further difficult to track down her life at present. His estranged daughter Sky Sutton, 35, of Northampton, Mass., had just completed a book about him, titled "Daddy Moonshine," the day he died. Through it all, there was just one thing that guided him: his likker (as he liked to spell it). The epitaph on his footstone reads "Popcorn Said Fuck You".[14][25]. 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, 62, was found dead of suspected carbon monoxide poisoning in a car near his Parrotsville, Tenn., residence, days before he was to begin serving an 18-month prison sentence for large-scale moonshine operation. However, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) raided the spots. If Suttons prison sentence seems light considering his many crimes, it was in part due to his age. Unfortunately, Sutton was not making enough money back then. She underwent surgery and began her first round of chemotherapy. On Monday, she came home from running errands and found him dead in his old Ford. My favorite place of hanging out, how not the kitchen! 33 Years old foodie & cookie lover. He wasn't just a poor old moonshiner trying to make a few dollars.". The lawsuit was settled in 2014. He was walking down the driveway coming toward me and told me, Hey, hey, hey, dont tell nobody what you seen here, Fontes recalls. Haywood mans presidential pardon reveals systemic inequities, Town of Waynesville will pursue staggered terms for aldermen, SCC grad inspires latest New Century Scholars. Pam St. Clement Birthday. Authorities began to investigate him without his consent. With all his knowledge about shine and his love for animals, especially cats, that makes him number one in my book. He gained fame as a moonshiner and bootlegger in the United States at a time when illicit businesses were the norm. Pam Sutton had that steadfast determination and through her incredible penmanship, we can still see just how fast and who won and who . His gravesite footstone reads "Popcorn Said Fuck You.'' DK. Long hailed for her beauty and gutsy film roles, Grier is a Hollywood icon. 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. Where Is Jungle Pam Hardy Now? But even for this seasoned veteran of the force, Popcorn stood out. 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. Later, in 1981, Sutton was convicted and sentenced in the Haywood County Superior Court in North Carolina for felony possession of a controlled substance. 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. I picked one up and realized the man sitting in the corner bye himself was the Legend ! Popcorn Sutton is an American legend! Marvin " Popcorn " Sutton (October 5, 1946 - March 16, 2009) was an American Appalachian moonshiner and bootlegger.