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Popcorns remains are still buried in his side yard in Parrotsville, Tennessee, where his widow will ensure no one else tries to harm him in the future. Wud love to get me some of his mountain juice . "It was beyond surreal," she said Wednesday. He apparently got right back to work. However, most believe it was either due to vandalism of the original site or a family dispute with his widow. On the day of his death, a fan wrote on Twitter, "Toasting the passing of the famous moonshiner Popcorn Sutton. My mother-in-law Pam Sutton suffered a massive stroke on 9/15/22. However, she and her father were not very close. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. The federal govt. Pretty dam sad if you ask me. "She's stiff as a board. Maggie Valley lost a friend and an ambassador, said James Carver, a long-time friend of Popcorns and a Maggie Valley native. [3] In the 1960s or 1970s, Sutton was given the nickname of "Popcorn" after his frustrated attack on a bar's faulty popcorn vending machine with a pool cue. But this shit right here goes right back to the crooked shit that's been going on before I was born. That's a big problem because now look where we're at. He also had a coffin ready in his living room. "He would tell you exactly what he thought, whether you wanted to hear it or not. But the young cop, whod seen the ravaging effects of drugs and alcohol on the locals, didnt comply. Sutton followed her husband to coaching stops at College of Southern Idaho, Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky and . It is also critical to use the proper amount of sugar in each batch of moonshine to make it safe to drink. For now, let's learn about Popcorn Sutton and his cause of death. He was eating a piece of Blueberry pie. 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. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 18 months of federal imprisonment. 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. It took his money, but didnt produce popcorn, eliciting a few swift blows from Sutton to crack open the machine. He also appeared in the Western 'Ghost Town: The Movie.' 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. As only a legend would be, Popcorn Sutton was actually buried twice. But so did the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, who launched a full-scale investigation, including undercover agents that struck deals to buy large quantities of moonshine from him. Sutton was arrested by an undercover police officer in 2008 after he admitted to storing large amounts of illegal alcohol in another location. Then there was the alleged attack on Willie Ferguson, a local musician who reportedly made the mistake of crossing Popcorn. He was well-known in the entertainment industry for his stage name and custom copper stills, and he made a name for himself. 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. What did his Mom put in the moonshine to make medicine, that Popcorn got addicted to? If you are able, please support The Smoky Mountain News. He was really just a back hill shiner. 33 Years old foodie & cookie lover. 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. It was an absolute honor to meet him. 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. by Loyola Martinez | Feb 25, 2023 | Popcorn. Sutton Popcorn Company retains the right to use the name in some capacity. The couple had three children together, but Popcorn Suttons moonshining operation often took him away from home for long periods of time. Sutton's memorial grew in spectacle as country music singer Hank Williams Jr. flew in to pay his respects. The couple had been married for 25 years and had three children together. Popcorn Sutton poses with one of his moonshine stills (photo shared with permission from Sucker Punch Pictures). Hutchesons coffee table book style biography, The Moonshiner Popcorn Sutton is a glimpse into Popcorns wit, jokes and hillbilly way of life. I bought a couple items and he talked to me. In 2007, Sutton was caught with over 650 gallons of moonshine by local Cocke County authorities. Stills are known to do that, despite Popcorns expert craftsmanship in making them. Small batches of this alcohol are typically made and can contain 40 to 80 percent alcohol by volume. Sutton committed suicide 2 years after their marriage. Would loved to have known Popcorn. [38], In 2014, Popcorn Sutton Distilling opened a new distillery in Newport, Tennessee, the county seat of Cocke County. He hated the persona, says his widow, Pam Sutton. He became well-known as a liquor king well into his 60s. 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. However, prior to his death, she had not seen him in years. And Popcorn, who refused to pay taxes and considered moonshine part of his dont tread on me heritage, wore his rebel badge with pride. [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. These states are all part of the southern United States. Popcorn lives on but now in a rural mountain in northern Tennessee. 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. [41], In December 2016, the Popcorn Sutton Distillery was sold to the Sazerac Company. Popcorn Sutton, an American moonshiner and bootlegger, lived in the United States from 1946 to 2009. The revised version of the book includes details of his death. In Maggie Valley, he opened an antique shop as a front, soon a destination for eager buyers from across the region. [2] (A woman named Ernestine Upchurch, with whom Sutton had been living in the 1990s, later said she helped write the book. Thus, it took him forever to clear his debts. moonshine was made from a recipe passed down through the generations and was sold in the back of his Ford Model A truck. It was composed by photographer Don Dudenbostel. As one legislator put it, The law is not making legal someone who wants to open a distillery in their barn. Sutton's daughter later revealed that Sutton had once told her mother that he would prefer dying than going to jail. 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. 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: Read Also: Legend or lawbreaker: The real story of Popcorn Sutton. "All the rest of them that I know are dead," Sutton said in the profane, not-for-primetime clip. She uses several glassmaking techniques to create decorative, as well as functional . Popcorn ran an antique shop in Maggie Valley as recently as a few years ago, where one could supposedly buy a jar of moonshine it they asked the right way. 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. If he liked you he liked you, and if he didnt, you better stay away, recalled Carver. He was convicted of moonshining and illegal firearm possession offenses and was scheduled to report to federal prison in March 2009, but he committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning. Copyright 2023 Distractify. In 2009, he chose suicide in order to avoid going to prison, and he was diagnosed with cancer the following year. 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. That man went out in a blaze of glory, and flipping his finger as we went," she said. He comes from the old era, said Maggie Valley Police Chief Scott Sutton, describing Popcorn Sutton as the last of his breed. June 5, 2022 Posted by: Category: Uncategorized; No Comments . 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 have found 168 people in the UK with the name Pamela Sutton. Sutton, an infamous moonshiner, had been trying to outrun revenuers for more than three decades now. Marvin " Popcorn " Sutton (October 5, 1946 - March 16, 2009) was an American Appalachian moonshiner and bootlegger. Probably because its still illegal to make shine. 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. 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. JB and South Mountain Distilling Co. began making moonshine in late 2018. [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. 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. Reports vary on why he was exhumed and reburied. Sutton also produced a home video of the same name, which he released on VHS tape. The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States has released a report ranking the top moonshine states. This is one of the internets most popular searches about Sutton. Pamela M. Sutton-Wallace serves as Director of the Company. As a popcorn treat, a pound of moonshine is served. 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.