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. In March 2008, Sutton informed an undercover federal officer about the moonshine gallons in Tennessee and Maggie Valley, which he wanted to trade. It is critical to follow his instructions and recipe in order to produce a moonshine that has the same flavor and characteristics as him. To Grosser it seemed less like a sellout than the last swift move of a sharp entrepreneur. Though distilling moonshine is illegal, that doesn't stop the Discovery Channel from glorifying the concept in its docudrama series Moonshiners. 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. [39] Copper stills for the facility were made by Vendome Copper and Brass in Louisville, Kentucky. Some Popcorn Sutton branded products can still be purchased directly from the original company. 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. 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. They aint no damn body that can beat me making likker. And, in the end, he chose to die rather than get beat. I remember the blood gushing everywhere, she says. In addition to serving probation after being caught with over 650 gallons of moonshine, he was also convicted of selling alcohol without a license. [2][10][11] The New York Times later called it "a rambling, obscene, and often hilarious account of his life in the trade". "He couldn't go to prison. Autopsy results may be weeks away. The story of the life of Popcorn Sutton shows that Americans are still not really free! And Popcorn, who refused to pay taxes and considered moonshine part of his dont tread on me heritage, wore his rebel badge with pride. Still, his name is synonymous with one of the countys greatest claims to fame: Real mountain moonshine. Sutton's daughter later revealed that Sutton had once told her mother that he would prefer dying than going to jail. The new law wasnt enacted to honor Popcorns legend, though. Marvin was a kind of cultural icon and an embodiment of moonshine yore when it comes to producing the liquor. Hi my Name is Angel. Assuming you have all of the necessary items and your climate is favorable for moonshine making, this is how much corn it will take to produce 5 gallons of liquor: 201 ounces of cracked corn 7 pounds of granulated sugar. One night I sit outside the Cocke County fire station, near Popcorns home in Parrotsville, Tennessee, swigging apricot moonshine with the fire chiefs stout, gray-haired wife. But this shit right here goes right back to the crooked shit that's been going on before I was born. He ran a PVC pipe from the exhaust of his Ford Fairlane into his window and sealed it up with duct tape. Pam has worked for NSW Police for 11 years as a General Administrative Support Officer. 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? 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. 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. A long illness claimed the life of a beloved son on December 1, 2021. The operating hours, policies and procedures of other businesses may change at any time without notice. , 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. 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. [12][13]) At around the same time, Sutton produced a home video of the same title and released it on VHS tape. According to filmmaker Neal Hutcheson, Sutton remains an intriguing figure. by Loyola Martinez | Dec 28, 2022 | Popcorn. She suspected even then that her daddy might be responsible. Furthermore, many of these moonshine stills are hidden in rural areas, allowing visitors to experience the moonshine culture in these states. Damian Sutton, 2-year-old Mich. boy, dies after alleged beating from For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. 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. Additionally, Sutton had had a mental breakdown after being diagnosed with cancer. Sutton appeared in several documentaries including This is the Last Dam Run of Likker Ill Ever Make (featured below). He received the nickname of Popcorn after he attacked a faulty popcorn vending machine with a pool cue out of frustration. This left Pam to raise their children largely on her own. Offers may be subject to change without notice. We can conclude from this that moonshine culture is still thriving in the southern United States. All rights reserved. Now 62 and fighting kidney failure, Popcorn faced 15 yearslikely his last onesbehind bars. Is Pam Sutton Still Alive Photo by - wp On December 1, 2021, a long illness claimed the life of a dear friend. 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. [41], In December 2016, the Popcorn Sutton Distillery was sold to the Sazerac Company. Popcorn Sutton married Pam Sutton in 2007 just two years prior to his death. [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. Pam creates handmade art glass and jewelry. No bootlegger, however, would become as enigmatic as Popcorn. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 18 months of federal imprisonment. "Those factors gave Marvin the strength to die the way he lived: according to his own wishes and no one else's," she stated. 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. Lunn and Henley and the other employees of the distillery became employees of the Sazerac Company. 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. [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 lawsuit was settled in 2014. His wife reported that he had once told her that he would do this, rather than go to jail. Moonshiners distillers JB and Bill from Connelly Springs, NC, are now teaching their distilling techniques in both states. Marvin " Popcorn " Sutton (October 5, 1946 - March 16, 2009) was an American Appalachian moonshiner and bootlegger. after being convicted of offenses related to moonshining and illegal firearm possession. The couple had been married for 25 years and had three children together. He was placed on probation. How do you explain Bill and JB from Moonshiners? I can't be the only one that misses Popcorn Sutton.I would have loved to pick his brain. I wander up a grassy hill and read it there where hes now buried, the same spot where his still had gone up in flames. 1. TULSA, Okla. (AP) Patsy Sutton, the matriarch of a family of college basketball coaches, has died in Oklahoma at age 74. His parents lived in a wooden house in a mountain perched beside a tumbling stream. Best Match Powered by Whitepages Premium AGE 50s Pamela L Sutton Brooklyn, NY (Central Brooklyn) View Full Report Addresses Avenue J, Brooklyn, NY E 9th St, Brooklyn, NY After her death, Suttons business continued to operate, and he continued to produce moonshine until his own death in 2009. Pam was diagnosed with Stage 3 Bowel Cancer in January 2014. Even though technically he wasn't a member of "Moonshiners," his life and work inspired the series, which later kept his memory alive throughout its run. 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. Moonshine is romanticized in folklore and in the movies, Cavanaugh declared. 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. During a fire in one of Suttons properties in 2007, firefighters discovered a large cache of untaxed liquor hidden in the attic. [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. He seemed kind and good, not perfect but who is? He became well-known as a liquor king well into his 60s. His mind would just not accept it. Wud love to get me some of his mountain juice . According to the Knoxville News Sentinel, she and her father spoke on the phone occasionally. After separating from his second wife Heather Locklear, Tommy met Pam and the two fell hard and fast. He had pleaded guilty last April. I bought a couple items and he talked to me. [7] This led to a raid of his property by the ATF, led by Jim Cavanaugh of Waco siege infamy. Its a phrase he cut into his headstone when he was still alive. Jim Tom, his moonshine, was estimated to be worth more than $20 million. Pam Sutton is the wife of the late Marvin Popcorn Sutton, who was a legendary moonshiner from the Appalachian Mountains of Tennessee. [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 Suttons wife, Maybelle, died in 2012 after a long illness. 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. Pam Grier is the undisputed queen of the 1970s Blaxploitation films. His thick shaggy beard and slight frame completed the prototypical image of a backwoods mountaineer. is pam sutton still alive - Hansmoeskraal.com 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. His gravesite footstone reads "Popcorn Said Fuck You.'' 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. We have a lot of people come to Maggie Valley that want to meet Popcorn.. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the editorial independence that is crucial to our mission to help make Western North Carolina a better place to call home. Others view him as a criminal. 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. Fundraiser for Glen Sutton by Angel Sutton : Pam Sutton Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. Let us know in the comments. All Rights Reserved. Stanley established The Starchild character for his Kiss persona. 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. Sutton was found at the age of 62 in his parked green Ford Fairmont with the engine running. As the story goes, Fergusons body was found on the side of the road, left for dead after having his throat slit. 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. 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. But he was also the sweetest, kindest, most loving man I ever met in my life.". Following this, he was put on probation by Cocke County authorities. Pam Sutton: The Wife Of A Moonshining Legend | Popcorn Carnival He seemed interesting and came out with some funny one liners. Copyright 2023 Distractify. [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. Buyers came from miles around to sample his goods, and Popcorns celebrity grew. Whether people associate his name with criminal or star, no one can deny he's one of the only Cocke County, Tenn., residents to rise to fame. USA Distributor of MCM Equipment is pam sutton still alive hates you. 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. In March 2009, Sutton, 62, died of carbon monoxide poisoning. Among his many documentaries was one that won an Emmy for its portrayal of his unique personality. In 2010, Hank Williams, Jr. announced a partnership with J.M. Pam said that a few days later, after coming home from running errands, she found her husband dead in his Ford. But the truth is, moonshine is a dangerous health issue and breeds other crime. Sky Moonshine, the estranged daughter of Sutton, published Daddy: The Story of Marvin Popcorn Sutton. 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. "I just hope and pray they don't send me off (to prison).". The most notable thing about the grave? Popcorns nickname dates to a barroom brawl between himself and a popcorn machine. 'It was beyond surreal'When he pleaded guilty, it was his fifth conviction. It is impossible to overstate the importance of the life and persona of Marvin Popcorn Sutton, a legendary moonshiner and North Carolina native who died in an automobile accident. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate and a partner of other affiliate programs including Booking.com, CJ and Tripster, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases via links found in this article. To collect Popcorns original bottles, you can purchase them from eBay. Pam Sutton. ", 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. Sutton was found at the age of 62 in his parked green Ford Fairmont with the engine running. 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. "He was a true moonshiner," his widow added. Since his death, he has been honored with a new company and whiskey brand named after him. My favorite place of hanging out, how not the kitchen! Pass the Mountain Dew! He was 62 years old. Sutton also had a daughter by the name of Sky Sutton. The suit asked that all current existing bottles be taken off the market and that all profits from the sales of those bottles be handed over to Jack Daniel's. Heres What You Should Know, 29 Best Restaurants in Pigeon Forge, Ranked [2023], Great Smoky Mountains National Park Entrance Fees, What You Should Know, Smoky Mountains in March: Events in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge [2023], A Simple Guide to Smoky Mountain Parking Passes, Park it Forward. I couldnt understand what he said. Released in 2008 and broadcast on 'CBS,' the documentary received a 'Southeast Emmy Award' in 2009. [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. Pam Sutton is a much loved and valued member with the Inner West Police Area Command. Reader contributions support the journalistic mission of SMN to remain independent. Sutton could have gotten as much as 15 years in prison, but got off with a surprisingly light relatively speaking with just 18 months. For now, let's learn about Popcorn Sutton and his cause of death. Some people have questioned whether or not Pam Sutton is worthy of the money she has been left. Pamela Sutton Profiles | Facebook His body was carried to its new resting spot by horse and carriage. Most of it happened in the last 20 years, if not longer. To elude the cops, he switched up the cars oftenit was a 46 Willis Jeep one trip, a 53 Ford convertible the next. In 2009, an accidental carbon monoxide overdose claimed the life of the actor. Despite being on probation, Popcorn defiantly refused to give up his trade. Probably because its still illegal to make shine. 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. While some revile the folkloric status Popcorn has achieved, denouncing him as a common criminal, few can argue that Popcorn was a bridge to the past, a window on a vanishing part of Appalachian culture. Popcorn Sutton grew up in the South-Eastern Appalachian region of the United States, and he was born in Scotland. If you want to find legendary moonshiners, you should look for Popcorn Sutton, also known as Marvin. At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. 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. [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". The Last Hillbilly Hero - Maxim He was also known for being convicted of crimes related to moonshining and illegal firearm possession. He was quite a Character. His mind would just not accept it. Sutton was born Marvin Sutton, on October 5, 1946, in the tiny town of Maggie Valley, North Carolina, to Bonnie and Vader. Did you know anything about Popcorn Sutton that we missed? In 1982, Memphis Popcorn Sutton helped to found the industrys first terminal. He was a part of the 2002 Neal Hutcheson film Moon moonshine, which focused on the illegal moonshine trade. Sutton, an infamous moonshiner, had been trying to outrun revenuers for more than three decades now. Now known as one of Britain's finest detectives and police officers, Sutton actually comes from a long line of coppers. 4 mos. Sutton Popcorn Company retains their original use of this name. His health was failing. However, she and her father were not very close. While unscrupulous moonshiners distilled their booze through antifreeze-caked radiator pipes (capable of killing a drinker), Popcorn used only new copper tubing. In a move to perhaps cement his legendary status for all of eternity, Popcorn Sutton committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning just days before his federal prison term was scheduled to begin in 2009. 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 apparently got right back to work. Glass and Silversmithing Arts. Then he cut on the engine and leaned back in his seat. Reports vary on why he was exhumed and reburied. Moonshiner dead in apparent suicide - Smoky Mountain News 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 . The charges also included tax evasion and transportation of an illegal substance. Sutton was in a live-in relationship with Ernestine Upchurch, who later helped him write his autobiography. Pam Sutton, the wife of the late moonshiner Popcorn Sutton, has been left with a large sum of money following her husbands death. He wasn't just a poor old moonshiner trying to make a few dollars.". R.I.P Popcorn . 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. He was handed down light charges at the time, netting nothing more than probation. His wife, Pam Sutton, whom he married just two years prior, had returned from running errands when she found him. He hated the persona, says his widow, Pam Sutton. 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. He would sell a gallon of alcohol for just 6 dollars. In Maggie Valley, he opened an antique shop as a front, soon a destination for eager buyers from across the region. In 2007, 'The History Channel' featured Sutton's next documentary, 'Hillbilly: The Real Story.' "He tried every way in the world to get them (federal authorities) to leave him on house arrest," she said. Some view him as a folk hero. To start the business, Sutton borrowed money from Nick Price. 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. That man went out in a blaze of glory, and flipping his finger as we went," she said. Sutton was arrested by an undercover police officer in 2008 after he admitted to storing large amounts of illegal alcohol in another location. Manhunt: What happened to Colin Sutton? Where is he now?