Popcorn Sutton Jam Ride

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

The plan to ride over The Great Smoky Mountains to Maggie Valley ,NC yesterday kinda took a turn when we found out over 10,000 people was expected to be at the BBQ Festival. With 10,000 people and having to go inside a " Tasting Tent " just to get some Q didn't sound like too much fun with sunshine and 90 degrees. We took a ride that took us around our elbow to get to our thumb and found our way to Newport, Tennessee and the 5th Anniversary Popcorn Sutton Memorial Jam.

Marvin "Popcorn" Sutton (October 5, 1946 – March 16, 2009) was an American Appalachian moonshiner originally from Maggie Valley, North Carolina. He wrote a self-published autobiographical guide to moonshine production, and self-produced a home video depicting his moonshining activities, and he was later the subject of a documentary that won a Regional Emmy Award. He committed suicide in 2009 rather than report to Federal prison after being convicted of offenses related to moonshine production.
Bootlegging and moonshining career.

Sutton had a long career making moonshine and bootlegging. Most of the time he was able to avoid law enforcement, although he was placed on probation in the 1970s and the 1990s. In 1999, Sutton published Me and My Likker, an autobiography and guide to moonshine production. Around the same time he produced a home video of the same title and released it on VHS tape. His first broadcast appearance was in Neal Hutcheson's documentary, Mountain Talk, in 2002.Sutton next appeared in the film that would become the cornerstone of his notoriety, This is the Last Dam Run of Likker I'll Ever Make. 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. The source footage from this project was re-worked into the documentary The Last One that was released in 2008, which received a Southeast Emmy Award. Some of the documentary footage was later used in the 2011–2012 season of the Moonshiners television series produced by Discovery Channel. Sutton was also featured in the 2007 documentary, Hillbilly: The Real Story, on The History Channel.

Sutton considered moonshine production a legitimate part of his heritage, as he was Scots-Irish and descended from a long line of moonshiners. In January 2009, after an ATF raid led by Jim Cavanaugh of Waco notoriety, Sutton was sentenced to eighteen months in a federal prison for illegally distilling spirits and possession of a firearm as a felon. Sutton, 62 and recently diagnosed with cancer, pleaded with the U.S. District Judge Ronnie Greer to let him serve his sentence under house arrest. Several petitions were made in attempts to reduce or commute Sutton's sentence, to no avail.

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. And his bib overalls—he always wore bib overalls. Even when he came to federal court, he was wearing bib overalls. 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.' "   Ray Snader on "Popcorn" Sutton, 2008.




Sutton committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning on March 16, 2009, apparently to avoid a federal prison term due to begin a few days later. On October 24, 2009, Sutton's body was relocated from his original grave site in Mt. Sterling, North Carolina, to his home in Parrottsville, Tennessee, providing an opportunity for the first public memorial service to be held. His body was carried to its new resting spot by horse and carriage. Sutton's memorial grew in spectacle as country music singer Hank Williams, Jr. flew in to pay his respects. It was a small memorial only for close friends and family.



They had a pretty good turn-out and we was there somewhat early so I'm sure the place got packed as the sun went down. The band that was playing when we was there was rockin' the place .

I got a really cool event t-shirt and didn't take as many pictures as Big Al did. Lot's of copper stills and art work for sale.

It was hot but not really that bad as we stayed on the shaded backroads most of the day with around 230 miles for the day. Took " The Money Shot " just above Cosby, Tennessee on Foothills Parkway.

[..]

They need to stripe a "Reserved for Smokin Joe" area right there.

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

They need to stripe a "Reserved for Smokin Joe" area right there.

This was my first picture ever on this part of Foothills Parkway .... This is the section just off I-40 near Newport. They are working on the missing section and " someday " you can go from US 129 just north of The Dragon and come out just west of the Tennessee / North Carolina border near the gorge on I-40.

[Ghost]

Sounds like a good time Joe, I love History about Moon Shine and the South. My Family came from Hazard County KY. Still North of you so I will always be a Yankee. 

[T-Bird]

I knew Popcorn, he was a friend of a friend of mine....that's the only way you got to know Popcorn.
He was very cautious of who he talked to.  I can't say I was a good friend of his, but we knew each other through business transactions, and talked over many of Budweisers. I actually think he prefered Shlitz, but would always drink Bud in front of me.  On more than one occasion I would buy some of his product...it was the best, and haul it back down the mountain to the city, and he would buy some of mine to haul back to Maggie Valley, which was a dry county at the time. This was  35 yrs ago, and he was only well known in the Tellico/Maggie Valley area at that time. I guess the internet helped change that and led to his national recognition, and possibly demise. When I think of Popcorn, I can still visualize a very lean wrinkeled man who looked 20 years older than he actually was.  At the local tavern, he always sat at the end of the bar on the same stool (just like Norm on Cheers).
 R.I.P. Popcorn    

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

I knew Popcorn, he was a friend of a friend of mine....that's the only way you got to know Popcorn.
He was very cautious of who he talked to.  I can't say I was a good friend of his, but we knew each other through business transactions, and talked over many of Budweisers. I actually think he prefered Shlitz, but would always drink Bud in front of me.  On more than one occasion I would buy some of his product...it was the best, and haul it back down the mountain to the city, and he would buy some of mine to haul back to Maggie Valley, which was a dry county at the time. This was  35 yrs ago, and he was only well known in the Tellico/Maggie Valley area at that time. I guess the internet helped change that and led to his national recognition, and possibly demise. When I think of Popcorn, I can still visualize a very lean wrinkeled man who looked 20 years older than he actually was.  At the local tavern, he always sat at the end of the bar on the same stool (just like Norm on Cheers).
 R.I.P. Popcorn    

Good read Terry    I plan to get the dates for this next year and get a room so I can hang out and party.... As stated above they had some great bands rockin' the place with several beer trucks and food vendors on site.

[T-Bird]

Let's do it...I had no idea this was going on. Popcorn made me a lot of money back in the day, I owe it to him to start going to this.

[Popcorn]

There's a little out of the way bar in Tn. that me and the 1st. born son went to one day. The owner had one of the last jars of shine that Popcorn ran. The first thing out of my sons mouth when we went in was, I hear you got some moonshine! He thought we were the feds but warmed up to us after a while and showed us the jar. can't remember the name of the bar or how to get there, but I bet Jason does.

[Big Al of Tennessee]

This is the Last Dam Run of Likker I'll Ever Make - FULL MOVIE

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

This is the Last Dam Run of Likker I'll Ever Make - FULL MOVIE

Watched it all Al..... Thanks for posting