Popcorn Sutton Wife Death Sky Moonshine, the estranged daughter of Sutton, published Daddy: The Story of Marvin Popcorn Sutton. He published the book at his junk shop in Maggie Valley. View the web story version of this article here. Damian Sutton, 2, has died at a Detroit hospital after being taken off life support. Wud love to get me some of his mountain juice . 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, an infamous moonshiner, had been trying to outrun revenuers for more than three decades now. The couple had been married for 25 years and had three children together. To start the business, Sutton borrowed money from Nick Price. View the profiles of people named Pam Sutton. The book also offers a better understanding of how the people of the region survived. 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. Popcorn had just one question for the stranger. But how well do you really know the legend of Popcorn Sutton? On Monday, she came home from running errands and found him dead in his old Ford. The life and persona of Marvin Popcorn Sutton, a world-famous moonshiner and North Carolina native, are known to all. Among his many documentaries was one that won an Emmy for its portrayal of his unique personality. Sutton Popcorn Company retains the right to use the name in some capacity. Since his death, a new company, as well as an associated whiskey brand, has been launched in his memory. His moonshine was made from a recipe passed down through his family and sold in the back of his Ford Model A truck. Did you know anything about Popcorn Sutton that we missed? 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. Dean Sutton of 39 years and his wife, Christine Sutton; their son, Ian; mother, Bessie Wimer; and sister,Brenda Oswald, all of whom preceded her in death, are among those who have passed away. He also appeared in the Western 'Ghost Town: The Movie.' But he was also the sweetest, kindest, most loving man I ever met in my life.". [20] Mrs. Sutton said, "He called it his three-jar car because he gave three jugs of liquor for it. I met him once at his little shack in Cherokee. However, prior to his death, she had not seen him in years. At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. Its easy to spot Popcorn Sutton, also known as Marvin, if youre looking for legendary moonshiners. Im here to follow the path of Suttons exhumed bones and unravel the mystery behind this modern-day legend. Spouse. Willie Nelson had him onstage at a local show, and Johnny Knoxville taped a visit to Popcorns cabin. Making likker. "Popcorn is getting everybody drunk," the governor's Highway Patrol escorts complained and when Irwin told him to stop, Sutton packed up and left, Irwin recalled. The states with the most moonshiners, on the other hand, are not among the top five for per capita moonshine production. Popcorn has never been secretive about his tendency for making moonshine. 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). Clearly, the actress is still alive and well today, and she's been in remission for the . Moonshiners distillers JB and Bill from Connelly Springs, NC, are now teaching their distilling techniques in both states. Join Facebook to connect with Pamela Sutton and others you may know. Moonshining was legal in the United States for the first time a year after his death. On March 16, 2009, Sutton, a resident of Northbridge, England, died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning. Popcorns stuff wasnt just cleanit was so tasty that locals treasure their last mason jars of it to this day. These states are all part of the southern United States. [18][19] In January 2009, Sutton, who had used a public defender as his attorney in the case and had pleaded guilty, was sentenced to 18 months in a federal prison for illegally distilling spirits and possession of a firearm (a .38-caliber handgun) as a felon. With all his knowledge about shine and his love for animals, especially cats, that makes him number one in my book. Pretty dam sad if you ask me. If he liked you he liked you, and if he didnt, you better stay away, recalled Carver. 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. Her husbands whiskey was produced and sold by Hank Williams Jr. and she began selling it as a stand-alone product in 2010. It was an absolute honor to meet him. Sutton learned to make moonshine at an early age. 1929 wheat penny. Pam Sutton is a much loved and valued member with the Inner West Police Area Command. 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. To the fans and celebs who came from around the world to buy his booze, Popcorn was the banjo-picking cracker with the long beard, grimy overalls, and bawdy stories. Autopsy results may be weeks away. His parents lived in a wooden house in a mountain perched beside a tumbling stream. Pam Sutton. Fermented corn mash is used to make moonshine. His mind would just not accept it. How Old - Age: 80. He was a moonshine maker as well as Popcorn Sutton Moonshines creator, collaborating with his father. According to the Internal Revenue Service, the estate of Kate Sutton is valued at around $500 thousand. On the day of his death, a fan wrote on Twitter, "Toasting the passing of the famous moonshiner Popcorn Sutton. The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States has released a report ranking the top moonshine states. This time, the local cops would be of no help. Popcorn Sutton is an American legend! "It was beyond surreal," she said Wednesday. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. He was 62 years old. Read Also: Is Moonshiners real? Fans Want to Know Why 'Moonshiners' Star Tickle Was in Jail Again! Now known as one of Britain's finest detectives and police officers, Sutton actually comes from a long line of coppers. [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. Word soon spread that Popcorn and another man cut him after a fight and took his fiddle. Sutton was in a live-in relationship with Ernestine Upchurch, who later helped him write his autobiography. Box 629, Waynesville, NC 28786 828.452.4251. However, there is no doubt that Pam is a hard-working woman who has been through a lot in her life. 33 Years old foodie & cookie lover. Stanley established The Starchild character for his Kiss persona. In Maggie Valley, he opened an antique shop as a front, soon a destination for eager buyers from across the region. Is Pam St. Clement Dead or Still Alive? . At a time when moonshining and bootlegging were considered illicit in the United States, Sutton established his empire with just one barrel. To distinguish himself from the competition, he took pride in quality. Sutton was sentenced to 18 months in prison in January 2009 for tax evasion. He will continue to teach distilling techniques to distillers in North Carolina, as well as his music, which will be featured at both the moonshiners reunion and the Mountain Music Festival. 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. One of Popcorns closest and oldest friends was the countys most legendary sheriff, Tooney Moore, who shared his conviction that moonshine was an important part of the local heritage. While Popcorn was under house arrest, motocross star Jamey Grosser showed up unannounced at the cabin one day. Is Popcorn Sutton still alive? Sutton had a long career making moonshine and bootlegging. But Popcorn had fallen on hard times and ended up drinking and talking with Grosser for days. On March 16, 2009, Sutton committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning. He was 62 years old. 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. 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. After her death, Suttons business continued to operate, and he continued to produce moonshine until his own death in 2009. [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." Facebook gives people the power to. Sutton Popcorn Company retains their original use of this name. 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. Pams early years were spent working on her familys tobacco farm. His fate would be sealed in that manner. Sutton was born Marvin Sutton, on October 5, 1946, in the tiny town of Maggie Valley, North Carolina, to Bonnie and Vader. 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 went to his grave in a pine casket he bought years ago and kept in a bedroom. 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. 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. What did his Mom put in the moonshine to make medicine, that Popcorn got addicted to? What does this report reveal about the states with the most moonshiners? He had got the footstone made in advance and had kept for years by his front porch. Popcorns nickname dates to a barroom brawl between himself and a popcorn machine. In 2012, Hillbilly Hero and Tom Wilson Jester teamed up to release a photographic book about Sutton, 'The Making and Marketing.' The outlaw spirit soared during Prohibition, when demand for moonshine exploded and bootlegging familieslike NASCAR racer Junior Johnsons and the brothers in this falls Lawlessbecame revered. 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. It will cost you between $30 and $40 in supplies, as well as time spent cooking and fermenting the corn. 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. His money was running out, and many of his friends, he lamented, had stopped coming around. If Suttons prison sentence seems light considering his many crimes, it was in part due to his age. They should of left him alone he was part of our great history, 2021 The Smoky Mountain News. Later, in 1981, Sutton was convicted and sentenced in the Haywood County Superior Court in North Carolina for felony possession of a controlled substance. A long illness claimed the life of a beloved son on December 1, 2021. The company and whiskey brand associated with him have been renamed after him since he died. Birthday: May 21, 1942. However, Sutton continued producing liquor barrels, and the business eventually grew more prominent. Famed Appalachian moonshiner Marvin "Popcorn" Sutton, whose incorrigible bootlegging ways were as out of step with modern times as his hillbilly beard and overalls, took his own life rather than go to prison for making white lightning, his widow says. [7] He said he had considered a harsher sentence of 24 months, but had decided on 18 months after considering Sutton's age and medical condition. In this article, we take a closer look at some of the most interesting monsters mentioned on Travel Channel's Mountain Monsters (media photo from Travel Channel, werewolf rendering from Adobe stock), The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad is one of the main attractions in Bryson City, North Carolina (photo by Alaina O'Neal/TheSmokies.com), I would love to have drank some of his moonshine ll0, I wud love to have met Popcorn.