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. Per NBC News, the famed moonshiner and bootlegger Popcorn Sutton died by suicide, possibly to avoid serving time in federal prison. There arent any more not in his form or fashion, thats for sure., Julia Merchant contributed to this article. My deputies wouldnt bother him, Moore, a clean-cut retiree in a pink polo shirt, tells me. 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. Famed Appalachian moonshiner Marvin "Popcorn" Sutton, whose incorrigible bootlegging ways were out of step with modern times, took his own life rather than go to prison, his widow says. Authorities began to investigate him without his consent. 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. Aside from being gluten-free, the whiskey is also popular among those who have dietary restrictions. Kobe Bryant's Parents: Where Are They Now? | Heavy.com Yes, I do, Grosser replied.Then come on in. 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. After separating from his second wife Heather Locklear, Tommy met Pam and the two fell hard and fast. [39] At the time of the announcement, it had not been decided whether the Popcorn Sutton brands would continue to be produced under contract by the distillery or not.[39]. To collect Popcorns original bottles, you can purchase them from eBay. 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. He was 62 years old. Ever since the death of her former partner Jim, Pam gradually avoided appearance in the media. Sutton appeared in several documentaries including This is the Last Dam Run of Likker Ill Ever Make (featured below). Popcorn lives on but now in a rural mountain in northern Tennessee. As one legislator put it, The law is not making legal someone who wants to open a distillery in their barn. Suttons money has been used to fund the production of moonshine and to support the people who make it. 4 mos. Pam Grier is the undisputed queen of the 1970s Blaxploitation films. Sutton was first interred at a family graveyard in Mount Sterling, North Carolina. 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. 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. Previously, Pam was Chief Executive Officer at the University of Virginia Medical Center. "I just hope and pray they don't send me off (to prison).". Read on for all the details about her life now. Stanley was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 as a member of . ", 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. The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States has released a report ranking the top moonshine states. Pamela Sutton-Wallace Net Worth (2023) | wallmine However, he always received only probation sentences. On the day of his death, a fan wrote on Twitter, "Toasting the passing of the famous moonshiner Popcorn Sutton. [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. Popcorn Sutton is an American legend! She was one of six children born to a sharecropper and a housewife. However, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) raided the spots. In 1999, he launched his self-published autobiography, 'Me and My Likker,' which also chronicled the incredible journey of moonshine production. Popcorn Sutton was a moonshiner who was born in Maggie Valley, North Carolina. 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. Pam Sutton married Popcorn Sutton just two years before his death in 2007. I couldnt understand what he said. I can brag about one thing, Popcorn once said in his thick Southern drawl. He said Nobody else could be that handsome We both laughed and he proceeded to tell me how he got his Name. My favorite place of hanging out, how not the kitchen! But he was also the sweetest, kindest, most loving man I ever met in my life.". "I think most people have a warm feeling for him, but he bragged so much about it (moonshining)," Irwin said. He also had a coffin ready in his living room. [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. He became well-known as a liquor king well into his 60s. Pam Sutton: A Hard-Working Woman Who Deserves The Money Left Behind By Pams early years were spent working on her familys tobacco farm. Spouse. The states with the most moonshiners, on the other hand, are not among the top five for per capita moonshine production. In the 90s he authored a ribald autobiography, Me and My Likker, which he sold on the Internet. His archive footages were featured in the 2016 docuseries 'Moonshiners.'. All rights reserved. Since 2011, the show has followed the lives of individuals who produce moonshine in the Appalachian Mountains. His health was failing. 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. Her husbands whiskey was produced and sold by Hank Williams Jr. and she began selling it as a stand-alone product in 2010. Fans Want to Know Why 'Moonshiners' Star Tickle Was in Jail Again! This is likely the event that spurred the internets 1983 search. When he took it back home what happen to it?? 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. When Popcorn Sutton was sentenced to jail in 2009 for moonshining, Pam stood by her husband. He wore a long gray beard, faded overalls, checkered shirt and feathered fedora. We have a lot of people come to Maggie Valley that want to meet Popcorn.. These recipes were made with popcorn Sutton left behind, and they included a lot of instructions and instructions on how to make them. But Popcorn, who seemed unusually sullen to Grosser, had other plans. Some Popcorn Sutton branded products can still be purchased directly from the original company. As only a legend would be, Popcorn Sutton was actually buried twice. Aint nobody make it better than this, she cackles over a sip. moonshine was legal in the United States for the first time in a year shortly before Popcorn Sutton died of cancer. [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. A moonshine is a spirit created by fermenting cane juice. He received the nickname of Popcorn after he attacked a faulty popcorn vending machine with a pool cue out of frustration. Paul Stanley - Wikipedia Pam Sutton, who became Sutton's fourth wife in 2007, said carbon monoxide may be the method but that's not what killed him. Hi my Name is Angel. Crime, whiskey & homemade sex machines: The life, death and legacy of Popcorn Sutton, Americas greatest moonshiner. This led to yet another conviction on a number of charges. Fundraiser for Glen Sutton by Angel Sutton : Pam Sutton Making likker. The exact amount is unknown, but it is thought to be in the millions. She has no doubt Sutton died on his own terms. Son, he asked, do you eat pussy? Pam creates handmade art glass and jewelry. His money was running out, and many of his friends, he lamented, had stopped coming around. Irwin told Sutton to run nothing but water through it. "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. 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. Yale New Haven Health names Pamela Sutton-Wallace as COO - YNHHS Pam Sutton sits down with Rick to discuss Popcorn Sutton Facebook gives people the power to. The story of the life of Popcorn Sutton shows that Americans are still not really free! 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. Sutton was found at the age of 62 in his parked green Ford Fairmont with the engine running. 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 would tell you exactly what he thought, whether you wanted to hear it or not. 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. He seemed kind and good, not perfect but who is? 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. He was walking down the driveway coming toward me and told me, Hey, hey, hey, dont tell nobody what you seen here, Fontes recalls. On Monday, she came home from running errands and found him dead in his old Ford. While we do our best to bring you the most up-to-date information, TheSmokies.com LLC makes no warranties regarding the accuracy or completeness of any content contained within. The most notable thing about the grave? As Hank Williams Jr. says of Popcorn, This guy was real Appalachian Americana. I picked one up and realized the man sitting in the corner bye himself was the Legend ! The lawsuit was settled in 2014. 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. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Pam Sutton, the wife of the late moonshiner Popcorn Sutton, has been left with a large sum of money following her husbands death. Popcorns stuff wasnt just cleanit was so tasty that locals treasure their last mason jars of it to this day. Popcorn Sutton and his moonshine: 6 surprising facts (with pictures) Later he and Sutton even built stills together, and during my visit Moore shows me one of many he recently made. They aint no damn body that can beat me making likker. And, in the end, he chose to die rather than get beat. Surprisingly, this list doesnt include any states with the highest moonshiner rates per capita. "All the rest of them that I know are dead," Sutton said in the profane, not-for-primetime clip. Sutton's daughter later revealed that Sutton had once told her mother that he would prefer dying than going to jail. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her. Now 62 and fighting kidney failure, Popcorn faced 15 yearslikely his last onesbehind bars. We have found 168 people in the UK with the name Pamela Sutton. He wasn't just a poor old moonshiner trying to make a few dollars.". 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. 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. At several points in my interviews, people would slip away and return with dusty jugs of Popcorns concoctions. , 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. Its easy to spot Popcorn Sutton, also known as Marvin, if youre looking for legendary moonshiners. He also appeared in the Western 'Ghost Town: The Movie.' (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. We are not endorsed by, authorized by, or affiliated with any mentioned attractions. 4 mos. 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. Autopsy results may be weeks away. The company and whiskey brand associated with him have been renamed after him since he died. Is Pam Sutton Still Alive In December 2016, Popcorn Sutton Distillery was sold to the alcoholic beverage company 'Sazerac Company.'. His parents lived in a wooden house in a mountain perched beside a tumbling stream. Authorities suspected carbon monoxide poisoning. Buyers came from miles around to sample his goods, and Popcorns celebrity grew. Several seasons ago, Cutie Pie almost died after getting bit by a snake while exploring a possible still site with Josh, who had to rush her to the nearest veterinarian office. All Rights Reserved. Children. The Last Hillbilly Hero - Maxim IE 11 is not supported. Popcorn Sutton Wife Death Jim Tom, his moonshine, was estimated to be worth more than $20 million. Pamela Sutton - People Directory - 192.com The federal govt. She has shown her strength and resilience in the face of adversity, and she is a deserving recipient of the money her husband left behind. Moonshiner dead in apparent suicide - Smoky Mountain News Did Popcorn ever have a wife? In March 2008, Sutton informed an undercover federal officer about the moonshine gallons in Tennessee and Maggie Valley, which he wanted to trade. The sale included only the distillery, not the brands, which are owned by Popcorn Sutton Distilling LLC, which is based in Ohio. While Popcorn was under house arrest, motocross star Jamey Grosser showed up unannounced at the cabin one day. Popcorn Suttons moonshine was renowned for its high quality, and he was known for his careful and traditional methods of production. 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. Popcorn Suttons wife, Pam, died in 2009 after a long battle with cancer. If Suttons prison sentence seems light considering his many crimes, it was in part due to his age. Pam Suttons moonshine is still highly sought-after, and she has won multiple awards for her products. It was said he did this to avoid the federal prison term that was supposed to start a few days later. 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 He published the book at his junk shop in Maggie Valley. But the young cop, whod seen the ravaging effects of drugs and alcohol on the locals, didnt comply. 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. 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. Popcorn told him he sold that much all the time and, after bragging about his whiskey and his guns, sent the man away with 80 gallons of his own. Newport Plain Talk, Cocke Countys local newspaper, originally reported the following arrests and convictions. Could it still be set up, as a shrine monument?? Made a still for a museumJohn Rice Irwin, founder of the Museum of Appalachia in Norris, Tenn., recalled that Sutton made a still for the museum in the 1990s. Even when he came to federal court, he was wearing bib overalls. Popcorns wife used both original bottles and they are currently available for eBay purchase. DE, Popcorn Suttons XXX Tennessee White Whiskey can also be purchased in a mason jar. When I heard how Popcorn was treated and that he wanted me to be involved in carrying on his legacy, I was immediately in. 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. Among his many documentaries was one that won an Emmy for its portrayal of his unique personality. The epitaph on his footstone reads "Popcorn Said Fuck You".[14][25]. Through it all, there was just one thing that guided him: his likker (as he liked to spell it). After her death, Suttons business continued to operate, and he continued to produce moonshine until his own death in 2009. On December 1, 2021, a long illness claimed the life of a dear friend. In March 2009, Sutton, 62, died of carbon monoxide poisoning. 'It was beyond surreal'When he pleaded guilty, it was his fifth conviction. After Popcorn Suttons death in 2014, Pam was left with a large sum of money. 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. by Loyola Martinez | Dec 28, 2022 | Popcorn. "Those factors gave Marvin the strength to die the way he lived: according to his own wishes and no one else's," she stated. The best way to make Popcorn Suttons recipe was discovered in a large quantity of instructions and tips. Sutton earned massive fame as a liquor king by the time he turned 60. In addition to organizing the Mountain Music Festival and the Moonshiners Reunion, Bill plays the guitar and organizes gig events. pic.twitter.com/V7dUdlJWQ8. A popcorn net worth of between one and seven million dollars is estimated for Sutton Popcorn. Sutton Popcorn Company retains their original use of this name. Popcorn Suttons real name is Marvin Sutton. Suttons exhumed body was transported via horse-drawn carriage to his property in Parrotsville, Tenn., where he remains today. To Grosser it seemed less like a sellout than the last swift move of a sharp entrepreneur. The couple had three children together, but Popcorn Suttons moonshining operation often took him away from home for long periods of time. He said a Vending machine in a bar took his money and didnt give him his popcorn! Pamela Sutton Obituary (1956 - 2021) - Legacy Remembers 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. In 2009, an accidental carbon monoxide overdose claimed the life of the actor. His first appearance in a feature film (that was not self-published) was in Neal Hutcheson's 2002 documentary, Mountain Talk, as one of various people of southern Appalachia featured in this film focused on the "mountain dialect" of the area. While unscrupulous moonshiners distilled their booze through antifreeze-caked radiator pipes (capable of killing a drinker), Popcorn used only new copper tubing. Does the TV show make real moonshine? Distractify is a registered trademark. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her. 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. It will cost you between $30 and $40 in supplies, as well as time spent cooking and fermenting the corn. Sutton conceded he was part of a dying breed in an interview last year with actor Johnny Knoxville for a video posted on Knoxville's "Jackass" Web site. Marvin "Popcorn" Sutton (October 5, 1946 March 16, 2009) was an American Appalachian moonshiner and bootlegger. He hated the persona, says his widow, Pam Sutton. 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. $50. 1929 wheat penny. TULSA, Okla. (AP) Patsy Sutton, the matriarch of a family of college basketball coaches, has died in Oklahoma at age 74. He was convicted of moonshining and illegal firearms possession as a result of his moonshining conviction. 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. I bought a couple items and he talked to me. Where Is Jungle Pam Hardy Now? What Ever Happened to Pam Grier - the Original Foxy Brown is pam sutton still alive - Nftcollectionlab.com Bell Mary. Months before his conviction, Sutton reportedly had a mental breakdown after being diagnosed with cancer. See top. The nickname "Popcorn" was given to him in the 1960s or the 1970s, after Sutton attacked a broken popcorn vending machine with a pool cue. The operating hours, policies and procedures of other businesses may change at any time without notice. NFTs Simplified > Uncategorized > is pam sutton still alive. Pam Sutton Profiles | Facebook Monday, April 25, 2022 New Haven, CT (April 25, 2022) - After an extensive search, Yale New Haven Health (YNHHS) today announced that Pamela M. Sutton-Wallace, MPH, has been selected as its chief operating officer (COO), effective July 11, 2022. He comes from the old era, said Maggie Valley Police Chief Scott Sutton, describing Popcorn Sutton as the last of his breed.