He comes from the old era, said Maggie Valley Police Chief Scott Sutton, describing Popcorn Sutton as the last of his breed. 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. After meeting at a New Year's Eve party in 1994 . This led to yet another conviction on a number of charges. 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 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. He considered moonshining his birth rite. In this article we'll look back at her success and reveal what comes next for the hard-working Black actress. Since his death, a new company and associated whiskey brand have been named after him. We are not endorsed by, authorized by, or affiliated with any mentioned attractions. The family descended from the wave of immigrants who brought their whiskey recipes to the area when they arrived in the 1700s. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. In March 2009, Sutton, 62, died of carbon monoxide poisoning. Pam Sutton, who became Sutton's fourth wife in 2007, said carbon monoxide may be the method but that's not what killed him. Shit while they were focused on him how much herion coke pills ? In addition to serving probation after being caught with over 650 gallons of moonshine, he was also convicted of selling alcohol without a license. Kobe Bryant and his family (Getty) TULSA, Okla. (AP) Patsy Sutton, the matriarch of a family of college basketball coaches, has died in Oklahoma at age 74. by Loyola Martinez | Dec 28, 2022 | Popcorn. Additionally, Sutton had had a mental breakdown after being diagnosed with cancer. 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. Aint nobody make it better than this, she cackles over a sip. Sutton was convicted of tax evasion after his property was damaged by fire in 2007. The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States has released a report ranking the top moonshine states. Facebook gives people the power to share. Concepts LLC and Pam Sutton, the widow of Hank Williams, to create a line of whiskey named after her. This Diner had postcards of him for sale next to the cash register . 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. 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. I picked one up and realized the man sitting in the corner bye himself was the Legend ! 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. by Loyola Martinez | Feb 25, 2023 | Popcorn. On March 16, 2009, Sutton committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning. "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. His estranged daughter Sky Sutton, 35, of Northampton, Mass., had just completed a book about him, titled "Daddy Moonshine," the day he died. Reader contributions support the journalistic mission of SMN to remain independent. Popcorns attire rarely varied: overalls, a flannel shirt and gray brimmed hat, occasionally adorned with a squirrel tail. The wife of Hall of Fame coach Eddie Sutton died Tuesday at a Tulsa hospital after suffering a stroke in December, according to officials at Ninde Brookside Chapel. Crime, whiskey & homemade sex machines: The life, death and legacy of Popcorn Sutton, Americas greatest moonshiner. Lunn and Henley and the other employees of the distillery became employees of the Sazerac Company. We were deeply saddened to learn of JB Raders and Bill Owens deaths. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her. 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. And Fontes, despite angering some locals for busting Popcorn, eventually became sheriff, a post he maintains today. 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. He was quite a Character. All rights reserved. Would loved to have known Popcorn. Popcorn Sutton was a well-known moonshiner in the Appalachian region of the United States, and his wife was often involved in his business. His gravesite footstone reads "Popcorn Said Fuck You.'' His thick shaggy beard and slight frame completed the prototypical image of a backwoods mountaineer. See top. Sky Sutton, Suttons daughter, is the daughter of Sky and Betty. 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. In fact, he came from a long line of bootleggers. Marvin "Popcorn" Sutton. Still, Popcorn has retained close ties to Maggie Valley, and the town is often viewed as the main stomping ground of the mountains most infamous shiner. NFTs Simplified > Uncategorized > is pam sutton still alive. Marvin Suttons legend began when he beat up the snack machine with a pool cue. We have found 168 people in the UK with the name Pamela Sutton. What finally brought him down, however, was a fire at his own home in April 2007 when a still exploded. As the story goes, Fergusons body was found on the side of the road, left for dead after having his throat slit. 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. R.I.P Popcorn . He was a friendly fellow, and of course every time you would talk to him, he would say, "Ray, I've run my last run of moonshine, I'm not gonna do it anymore, I'm just getting too old to be doing this stuff.". I remember the blood gushing everywhere, she says. His wife reported that he had once told her that he would do this, rather than go to jail. Is Pam Sutton Still Alive Photo by - wp On December 1, 2021, a long illness claimed the life of a dear friend. [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. However, prior to his death, she had not seen him in years. On November 9, 2010, Hank Williams Jr. partnered with 'J&M Concepts LLC' and Pam Sutton to distill and distribute a whiskey brand titled 'Popcorn Sutton's Tennessee White Whiskey.'. When she was just sixteen, Pam married Popcorn Sutton, a man eighteen years her senior. 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 In 2010, Hank Williams, Jr. announced a partnership with J.M. Willie Nelson had him onstage at a local show, and Johnny Knoxville taped a visit to Popcorns cabin. Now known as one of Britain's finest detectives and police officers, Sutton actually comes from a long line of coppers. Suttons exhumed body was transported via horse-drawn carriage to his property in Parrotsville, Tenn., where he remains today. It took his money, but didnt produce popcorn, eliciting a few swift blows from Sutton to crack open the machine. At several points in my interviews, people would slip away and return with dusty jugs of Popcorns concoctions. Moonshiners distillers JB and Bill from Connelly Springs, NC, are now teaching their distilling techniques in both states. We can conclude from this that moonshine culture is still thriving in the southern United States. Authorities began to investigate him without his consent. Popcorn has never been secretive about his tendency for making moonshine. 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: You can also show off your personality to your friends and family by tasting it in a different way than any other spirit. Is Pam St. Clement Dead or Still Alive? The exact amount is unknown, but it is thought to be in the millions. I was wondering if it was the last time the still was going to ever be use, why did they take the time, and hard work to break it down? 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. There were so many doctors just jotting shit down on a piece of paper making herion legal in a pill form and they already new this. Neal Hutcheson, another filmmaker who worked with Sutton, is worth $30 million. He was really just a back hill shiner. Im here to follow the path of Suttons exhumed bones and unravel the mystery behind this modern-day legend. moonshine is still a popular drink in the region, and visitors can still taste it. She was taken to upstate where she remained there for a a week and worked so hard to come home. The fire tipped authorities off that Popcorn was still at it, and wasnt merely producing the occasionall jar here and there but cranking out hundreds of gallons. Pam was a loving wife and mother who was always there for her family. What does this report reveal about the states with the most moonshiners? This charge would eventually cause him to fall. An incident report filed by the Cocke County Sheriffs Department says that Sutton was discovered dead in his 1982 Ford Fairmont when his wife, Pam Sutton, returned from running errands. Here are six interesting facts about his life that might just surprise you. Per NBC News, the famed moonshiner and bootlegger Popcorn Sutton died by suicide, possibly to avoid serving time in federal prison. When Popcorn Sutton was sentenced to jail in 2009 for moonshining, Pam stood by her husband. He went to his grave in a pine casket he bought years ago and kept in a bedroom. Making likker. Word soon spread that Popcorn and another man cut him after a fight and took his fiddle. In 2007, Sutton was caught with over 650 gallons of moonshine by local Cocke County authorities. Buyers came from miles around to sample his goods, and Popcorns celebrity grew. Popcorns nickname dates to a barroom brawl between himself and a popcorn machine. The federal govt. According to filmmaker Neal Hutcheson, Sutton remains an intriguing figure. 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. Pams early years were spent working on her familys tobacco farm. Pam Sutton was born in 1951 in the small town of Maggie Valley, North Carolina. He came from a long line of moonshiners, so bootlegging and moonshining have been his calling since he arrived on Earth. This left Pam to raise their children largely on her own. With all his knowledge about shine and his love for animals, especially cats, that makes him number one in my book. [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. Morgan is the founder Morgan Media LLC, a graphic design agency and the co-founder of TheSmokies.com LLC a media company that specializes in regional travel sites. Sutton was convicted multiple times for selling moonshine without a license. 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. He was eating a piece of Blueberry pie. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. '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. She underwent surgery and began her first round of chemotherapy. I can brag about one thing, Popcorn once said in his thick Southern drawl. If he liked you he liked you, and if he didnt, you better stay away, recalled Carver. [34] Country music stars attending the launch event included Martina McBride, Jamey Johnson, Randy Houser, Travis Tritt, Tanya Tucker, Zac Brown, Josh Thompson, Kentucky Headhunters, Little Big Town, Colt Ford, Montgomery Gentry, Jaron and the Long Road to Love, and Lee Brice. He ran a PVC pipe from the exhaust of his Ford Fairlane into his window and sealed it up with duct tape. 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. RIP. Urban drinks are featured. His archive footages were featured in the 2016 docuseries 'Moonshiners.'. In 2012, Hillbilly Hero and Tom Wilson Jester teamed up to release a photographic book about Sutton, 'The Making and Marketing.' There is no doubt that JB and Bill will be fondly remembered as two exceptional individuals. View Pam Sutton results including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. The book also offers a better understanding of how the people of the region survived. 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. So there my personal opinion. [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. The couple had been married for 25 years and had three children together. In 2009, an accidental carbon monoxide overdose claimed the life of the actor. Since his death, a new company, as well as an associated whiskey brand, has been launched in his memory. But Popcorn, who seemed unusually sullen to Grosser, had other plans. 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. While Sutton made his career out of this illegal trade, his rise to massive fame didnt happen until he was about 60 years old. He made his first film appearance in 2002, with Neal Hutcheson's documentary 'Mountain Talk.' Pam Suttons moonshine is still highly sought-after, and she has won multiple awards for her products. As one legislator put it, The law is not making legal someone who wants to open a distillery in their barn. 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. Previously, Pam was Chief Executive Officer at the University of Virginia Medical Center. Even though he is no longer alive, his legacy of moonshine production lives on. 4 mos. [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]. He honed the perfection of the craft, much like his father and grandfather had before him. Pam brings more than 25 years of healthcare industry experience and currently serves as Senior Vice President and Regional Chief Operating Officer of New York Presbyterian. He said Nobody else could be that handsome We both laughed and he proceeded to tell me how he got his Name. Shit that kills a whole other generation. Pam St. Clement was born on May 21, 1942 and is 80 years old now. He used the freshest white corn for his mash and the coldest, cleanest stream water. 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. The states with the most moonshiners, on the other hand, are not among the top five for per capita moonshine production. He would sell a gallon of alcohol for just 6 dollars. 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. [20] Mrs. Sutton said, "He called it his three-jar car because he gave three jugs of liquor for it. 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. 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. Others view him as a criminal. Sutton was found at the age of 62 in his parked green Ford Fairmont with the engine running. Each piece is handmade in Pam's studio in Reno, Nevada.