Sutton died by suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning in March 2009, aged 62, rather than report to federal prison[according to whom?] Most of it happened in the last 20 years, if not longer. Grosser was just like any other fanboy whod come to meet the living legend and buy some hooch. Wud love to get me some of his mountain juice . Thus, it took him forever to clear his debts. Popcorn Sutton was a moonshiner who was born in Maggie Valley, North Carolina. In the 90s he authored a ribald autobiography, Me and My Likker, which he sold on the Internet. 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. Pam Sutton is the wife of the late Marvin Popcorn Sutton, who was a legendary moonshiner from the Appalachian Mountains of Tennessee. Moonshiners distillers JB and Bill from Connelly Springs, NC, are now teaching their distilling techniques in both states. Sutton committed suicide 2 years after their marriage. Read Also: Is Moonshiners real? In addition to serving probation after being caught with over 650 gallons of moonshine, he was also convicted of selling alcohol without a license. Released in 2008 and broadcast on 'CBS,' the documentary received a 'Southeast Emmy Award' in 2009. Though Popcorn left no suicide note, his dramatic exit has transformed him into a martyr for his cause and solidified his legacy as the little guy whod rather die than let the Feds beat him. 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. Pretty dam sad if you ask me. His parents lived in a wooden house in a mountain perched beside a tumbling stream. It was composed by photographer Don Dudenbostel. Popcorns attire rarely varied: overalls, a flannel shirt and gray brimmed hat, occasionally adorned with a squirrel tail. Urban drinks are featured. 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. Some Popcorn Sutton branded products can still be purchased directly from the original company. Since his death, Popcorn's persona and work have only garnered more attention due to a whiskey company named after him, Popcorn Sutton's Tennessee White Whiskey, and as we said before, his posthumous appearances on Moonshiners. Lawlessness around here still persists, with poverty, crystal meth, and alcoholism rampant. Pam Sutton had that steadfast determination and through her incredible penmanship, we can still see just how fast and who won and who . On March 16, 2009, Sutton committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning. 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. As he once said, I dont bother nobody and nobody better damn sure not mess with me. Per NBC News, the famed moonshiner and bootlegger Popcorn Sutton died by suicide, possibly to avoid serving time in federal prison. 1929 wheat penny. We have a lot of people come to Maggie Valley that want to meet Popcorn.. 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 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. Popcorn Suttons wife, Pam, died in 2009 after a long battle with cancer. Sutton followed her husband to coaching stops at College of Southern Idaho, Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky and . Sutton had a long career making moonshine and bootlegging. On Monday, she came home from running errands and found him dead in his old Ford. His money was running out, and many of his friends, he lamented, had stopped coming around. Sutton was sentenced to 18 months in prison in January 2009 for tax evasion. by Loyola Martinez | Dec 28, 2022 | Popcorn. In 1985, he was convicted again for a felony assault with a weapon with intent, for which he received another three-year sentence. Pams early years were spent working on her familys tobacco farm. 4 mos. 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. But how well do you really know the legend of Popcorn Sutton? "He did it his way. When Popcorn Sutton was sentenced to jail in 2009 for moonshining, Pam stood by her husband. The federal govt. [3] [4] [5] He wrote a self-published . Small batches of this alcohol are typically made and can contain 40 to 80 percent alcohol by volume. Suttons exhumed body was transported via horse-drawn carriage to his property in Parrotsville, Tenn., where he remains today. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. From back rooms to barrooms, locals tell me sordid tales of Popcorns violent temper. Cutie Pie survived a snake bite in 2017. However, she and her father were not very close. As part of his undercover investigation, an undercover federal officer discovered that Sutton had 500 gallons of moonshine in his possession. If Suttons prison sentence seems light considering his many crimes, it was in part due to his age. 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. The operating hours, policies and procedures of other businesses may change at any time without notice. Over the course of his infamous career, Sutton faced a number of criminal complaints and convictions for moonshine-related crimes. The revised version of the book includes details of his death. How Did Marvin "Popcorn" Sutton From 'Moonshiners' Die - Distractify He had pleaded guilty last April. It is critical to follow his instructions and recipe in order to produce a moonshine that has the same flavor and characteristics as him. Authorities suspected carbon monoxide poisoning. As the story goes, Fergusons body was found on the side of the road, left for dead after having his throat slit. 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. We have found 168 people in the UK with the name Pamela Sutton. We are not endorsed by, authorized by, or affiliated with any mentioned attractions. He was a folk hero. Even in death his battles wage on: Popcorns whiskey recently became available legally for the first time, but a family feud over his legacy shows no signs of resolution. Fontes arrived to find Popcorn Sutton fanning the flames of a still, which had exploded from a gas leak. They should have been focused on crimes that out weighed hi. They were not invited. But as Popcorn discovered, the buyers were federal agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Americas most notorious moonshiner was under arrest. In addition to being a wife and mother, Pam also worked as a waitress and a cook to help make ends meet. Her husbands whiskey was produced and sold by Hank Williams Jr. and she began selling it as a stand-alone product in 2010. Aside from his white lightening, Popcorn was known for his crass language and feisty manner. Popcorn Sutton Wife Death Sutton was convicted multiple times for selling moonshine without a license. The story of the life of Popcorn Sutton shows that Americans are still not really free! 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. In December 2016, Popcorn Sutton Distillery was sold to the alcoholic beverage company 'Sazerac Company.'. [12][13]) At around the same time, Sutton produced a home video of the same title and released it on VHS tape. So its no surprise that the law eventually caught up with him. "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. He was well-known in the entertainment industry for his stage name and custom copper stills, and he made a name for himself. View the profiles of people named Pamela Sutton. In 2012, Hillbilly Hero and Tom Wilson Jester teamed up to release a photographic book about Sutton, 'The Making and Marketing.' In 2009, he chose suicide in order to avoid going to prison, and he was diagnosed with cancer the following year. 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. The most notable thing about the grave? Pam Sutton. Pam Sutton Profiles | Facebook Still, his name is synonymous with one of the countys greatest claims to fame: Real mountain moonshine. The new law wasnt enacted to honor Popcorns legend, though. The four-word epitaph sums up how he felt about his life, his death, and his legacy:Popcorn said fuck you.Show me more booze.Head over to the girl galleries. In 2010, she began distilling and distributing Hank Williams Jr.s whiskey with him. 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.'. He had a wood burning stove inside. Authorities began to investigate him without his consent. He was really just a back hill shiner. So credit the federal government for my husband being dead, I really do," she said. RIP. 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. 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. [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." He would sell a gallon of alcohol for just 6 dollars. 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. Whiskey production became ingrained in early Appalachian culture, thanks in part to the regions perfect climate for growing sweet corn. "He tried every way in the world to get them (federal authorities) to leave him on house arrest," she said. i too would have enjoyed meeting old popcorn,he was and will always be the man the myth the legend that is popcorn marvin sutton, Our site produces editorial content for the purpose of entertainment. Pam Sutton Portfolio | northtahoearts [2] (A woman named Ernestine Upchurch, with whom Sutton had been living in the 1990s, later said she helped write the book. However, since he was diagnosed with cancer, Sutton requested US District Judge Ronnie Greer to grant him house arrest instead of sending him to prison. She was one of six children born to a sharecropper and a housewife. Sutton Popcorn Company retains their original use of this name. "He would tell you exactly what he thought, whether you wanted to hear it or not. Sutton's daughter later revealed that Sutton had once told her mother that he would prefer dying than going to jail. JB, who was best known for his role as Shin Shinshiners in the reality show, died late last year from a long illness. Pamela Anderson is alive and well. He seemed interesting and came out with some funny one liners. Popcorn Sutton grew up in the South-Eastern Appalachian region of the United States, and he was born in Scotland. Pam St. Clement was born on May 21, 1942 and is 80 years old now. Clearly, the actress is still alive and well today, and she's been in remission for the . "Nobody was going to tell him what to do," Sky told Knox News in 2009. 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). 'It was beyond surreal'When he pleaded guilty, it was his fifth conviction. Drinks for urban drinkers If you want a mason jar to store Popcorn Suttons XXX Tennessee White Whiskey, you can also get it. Popcorn may no longer be around to weigh in, but his final words appear by his new resting place near his cabin in the woods. 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. 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. The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States has released a report ranking the top moonshine states. [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. He was quite a Character. Showed how to make moonshineHe wrote a paperback called "Me and My Likker" and recorded videos on how to make moonshine. R.I.P Popcorn . Pamela Sutton Obituary (1956 - 2021) - Legacy Remembers My mother-in-law Pam Sutton suffered a massive stroke on 9/15/22. 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. Popcorn grew up in Maggie Valley and called it home for most of his life, but had largely taken up residence in his later years in Parrrotsville, Tenn., the rural and sparsely populated country around Newport. My favorite place of hanging out, how not the kitchen! However, there is no doubt that Pam is a hard-working woman who has been through a lot in her life. 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. He was 62 years old. 33 Years old foodie & cookie lover. He was handed down light charges at the time, netting nothing more than probation. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her. The charges also included tax evasion and transportation of an illegal substance. Someone of means is going to have to step up. Popcorn Sutton Whiskey, Once Moonshine, Is Now Legal - The New York Times Autopsy results may be weeks away. Pamela and Tommy had a whirlwind romance. 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. Patsy Sutton, wife of Eddie Sutton, dies at 74 | RSN Pam St. Clement Death Fact Check, Birthday & Age - Dead or Kicking Someone of means like Hank Williams Jr., an equity partner with Grosser and Pam Sutton in the Popcorn Sutton Tennessee White Whiskey distillery, which recently celebrated an opening with stars including Kid Rock, Zac Brown, and Travis Tritt. Pam SUTTON | Australian Police , 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. He comes from the old era, said Maggie Valley Police Chief Scott Sutton, describing Popcorn Sutton as the last of his breed. Following this, he was put on probation by Cocke County authorities. Kobe Bryant's Parents: Where Are They Now? | Heavy.com Does the TV show make real moonshine? (February 10, 1944 - December 22, 2010) We were fortunate to have a woman at Lions Dragstrip who was so dedicated that she wanted to preserve the performance of every car that raced down the strip. He said Nobody else could be that handsome We both laughed and he proceeded to tell me how he got his Name. Let us know in the comments. The company that sold Popcorn Sutton branded products, on the other hand, continues to sell them directly to consumers. Pam Suttons moonshine is still highly sought-after, and she has won multiple awards for her products. In 2017, Sutton's Parrottsville estate caught fire. 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. Where Is Jungle Pam Hardy Now? Untold Facts About Jim - CelebSuburb Sutton's memorial grew in spectacle as country music singer Hank Williams Jr. flew in to pay his respects. The total weight of the ingredients is 143 pounds (65.2 kilograms), with cracked corn accounting for 65.1 kilograms and granulated sugar accounting for 76 kilograms. 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. His archive footages were featured in the 2016 docuseries 'Moonshiners.'. But the truth is, moonshine is a dangerous health issue and breeds other crime. The money has also been used to support the families of those who have been killed or incarcerated because of their involvement in the moonshine business. I sounded like absinthe. The family descended from the wave of immigrants who brought their whiskey recipes to the area when they arrived in the 1700s. 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. Pamela Sutton Profiles | Facebook Pam Sutton: The Wife Of A Moonshining Legend | Popcorn Carnival After separating from his second wife Heather Locklear, Tommy met Pam and the two fell hard and fast. Aside from being gluten-free, the whiskey is also popular among those who have dietary restrictions. His wife, Pam Sutton, whom he married just two years prior, had returned from running errands when she found him. 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. Pam Sutton is a much loved and valued member with the Inner West Police Area Command. Pam Sutton, the wife of the late moonshiner Popcorn Sutton, has been left with a large sum of money following her husbands death. Did you know anything about Popcorn Sutton that we missed? When she was just sixteen, Pam married Popcorn Sutton, a man eighteen years her senior. Today, Sky Sutton is a published author, historian and genealogist. It will cost you between $30 and $40 in supplies, as well as time spent cooking and fermenting the corn. His gravesite footstone reads "Popcorn Said Fuck You.'' Stills are known to do that, despite Popcorns expert craftsmanship in making them. moonshine must be made from cracked corn, and the kernels must be large enough to break down into sugar during fermentation. That's a big problem because now look where we're at. To Grosser it seemed less like a sellout than the last swift move of a sharp entrepreneur. Sutton also produced a home video of the same name, which he released on VHS tape. I walked over and asked if he was the man on the Postcard. 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.