BS: 'Popcorn' Sutton... Moonshiner...

Subject: BS: 'Popcorn' Sutton... Moonshiner...
From: Bobert
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 07:30 PM

So I met this woman at a garden center and we got talkin' about stuff when I brought up moonshine... So I was talkin' about Percy Flowers who I'm told is the moonshiner that inspired Steve Earle to write "Copperhead Road" and this woman in from out in the western part of Carolina and she told me about one...

...Marvin "Popcorn" Sutton and, people, I am here to tell ya'll that if you Google this guy up ya'll gonna be fallin' off yer seats laughin' for most of the videos... But not all...

Very entertaining so I warn ya' to not do it if ya' got a weak heart or don't like no cussin'...

Other than that, have at it and if ya'll want to do some blue clickies then knock yerselves out...

B;~)

Subject: RE: BS: 'Popcorn' Sutton... Moonshiner...
From: gnu
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 07:45 PM

Popcorn... been there and done that and it's a trip!

Subject: RE: BS: 'Popcorn' Sutton... Moonshiner...
From: olddude
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 07:48 PM

Bob
he is the guy I wrote Lightning Road for. His friends said they play my song now when they make their illegal moonshine runs LOL

I had over 100,000 free downloads on the song. His daughter added it to her website. I guess now they are making legal whiskey under his name. Popcorn killed himself in 2009, he was suppose to do some prison time since they busted him again. Sadly he had cancer and figured he didn't want to die in prison.

Subject: RE: BS: 'Popcorn' Sutton... Moonshiner...
From: Bobert
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 07:48 PM

What, gn-ze??? You already know about this guy???

B~

Subject: RE: BS: 'Popcorn' Sutton... Moonshiner...
From: gnu
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 07:49 PM

Emailed this one out to a bunch of my buddies just after New Years. To me, it's the best "intro".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0b5mW2QF6H4&NR=1&feature=endscreen

Subject: RE: BS: 'Popcorn' Sutton... Moonshiner...
From: GUEST,999
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 07:53 PM

Dan O'Connell got over 50,000 hits on a song he wrote and sung about Mr Sutton. For absolutely stupid reasons (he may or may not choose to explain) the song was removed from YouTube by YouTube. After that I began asking that my own stuff be removed also--some people thaink that's a blessing. It ain't "as free" as ya might think. Dan has been a great friend for five or six years now. He's a wonderful guy, and I was proud to be one of a few people who encouraged him to get his ass in gear and start playing again. (I was just returning a favour--he did that for me back in 2007.) He built my website and has done me a gang of favours regarding the internet because besides being a beautiful guy he's also a whiz with computers. He's one of four people who has most of my music and he's never been anything less than a great friend. I love that man more than I loved my own brother, and that's the truth.

You likely know Dan as old dude.

Dan, that may be more than you'd have ever wanted me to say, but it's said now.

Subject: RE: BS: 'Popcorn' Sutton... Moonshiner...
From: gnu
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 07:55 PM

"What, gn-ze??? You already know about this guy???"

Damn straight. Shoulda emailed you years ago??? Found that vid years ago when I was researchin some moonshinin and bootleggin and rum runnin history. A buddy reminded me of it... well, like I just said, a few weeks ago. I sent it along... sorry I didn't send it to you.

Then again, you never send me fuck all so I dunno why *I* asm apologizin. >;-)

Subject: RE: BS: 'Popcorn' Sutton... Moonshiner...
From: GUEST,999
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 07:56 PM

I defer to a better memory, dammit: 100,000. (But, I have nicer legs.)

Subject: RE: BS: 'Popcorn' Sutton... Moonshiner...
From: GUEST,999
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 08:00 PM

Crap. I was writing the long post and all I wrote was obe--Overtaken By Events. I'm going to go look for songs, or beer.

Subject: RE: BS: 'Popcorn' Sutton... Moonshiner...
From: Bobert
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 08:10 PM

Glad I brought this up...

Congrates on the song, Ol-ster...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: 'Popcorn' Sutton... Moonshiner...
From: gnu
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 08:11 PM

Grab me a cold one too, 9.

Subject: RE: BS: 'Popcorn' Sutton... Moonshiner...
From: Rapparee
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 08:25 PM

Man don't know good whiskey -- now my brothers and me and Grandpa's still, WE know good whiskey!

Subject: RE: BS: 'Popcorn' Sutton... Moonshiner...
From: olddude
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 09:27 PM

If it wasn't for my brother Bruce I would never have written another song nor picked up the guitar again. He nagged me until I tried playing it again LOL

Love ya bro.

yea Youtube kicked me off cause I used a photo of popcorn that his daughter said I could use. Turns out it was owned by some guy from the history channel or something. So they pulled my video. But my soundclick kept burning up... wish I had charged for that dang song.

Anyway, do you know why he was called Popcorn, cause he threw a guys head through a popcorn machine once

Subject: RE: BS: 'Popcorn' Sutton... Moonshiner...
From: Bobert
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 09:37 PM

I liked the YouTube stuff on him... Back in the Virgina mountain holler we lived in there was a guy, Delber Breeden, who was not only a spittin' image of Popcorn but also sounded like him, as well... I've always loved mountain people...

Interesting story about how Popcorn had put a guys head thru a popcorn machine, Ol-ster... Looks like he couldn't fight his way outta a wet paper bag... Musta been when he was a youngin'...

Shame to find that he killed himself 'cause he couldn't do the time...
And for what??? Making some corn whiskey???

B~

Subject: RE: BS: 'Popcorn' Sutton... Moonshiner...
From: olddude
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 09:45 PM

He put his daughter through college, he put his brothers kid through college, never had a nickle for himself. He really was a very kind person but in his youth he could hold his own and was a hell raiser. Popcorn use to day, "I make two kinds of likker .. the fightin kind and the lovin kind" Mostly he made the fightin kind.

Maddog Kenny one of his friend said he was going to send some jars up for you and I ... dang never did however but he did send some original photo's.

Subject: RE: BS: 'Popcorn' Sutton... Moonshiner...
From: olddude
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 09:47 PM

After he died Hank Williams Jr started a distillery under his name using the recipie that he left behind. Something popcorn could never do, go legal.

It costs over 200,000 dollars for the license to go legal. He gave away all the money he ever made from shine to others

Subject: RE: BS: 'Popcorn' Sutton... Moonshiner...
From: olddude
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 09:48 PM

His daughter sky is a journalist and professor at some university I forgot which one

Subject: RE: BS: 'Popcorn' Sutton... Moonshiner...
From: GUEST,999
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 09:48 PM

Wasn't the corn they objected to, it was the lack of tax. Government gotta control every damned thing.

Dan, put the song up again without the picture. Let 'em suck on that for a bit!

Subject: RE: BS: 'Popcorn' Sutton... Moonshiner...
From: Bobert
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 10:04 PM

Yeah, I've always found moonshiners interesting but "Popcorn" is da' man, Ol-ster...

I'd wished I could have a spent an evening with him sippin' shine, smokin' weed and tellin' lies...

Ya'll like the sign he had painted up about "pu**y??? Or his story that his wife's, ahhhhh, pu**y... That about rank... But, hey...

...never mind... Mountain folk ain't right...

B;~)

Subject: RE: BS: 'Popcorn' Sutton... Moonshiner...
From: gnu
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 10:06 PM

9... all that intrigues me. Who was the one that got you to pick up your guitar and start writing and singing again after your years of being out of the music "scene"?

Subject: RE: BS: 'Popcorn' Sutton... Moonshiner...
From: Bobert
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 10:17 PM

Yo, Ol-ster,

Just listened to "Lightning Road" again...

Mightie fine...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: 'Popcorn' Sutton... Moonshiner...
From: gnu
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 10:27 PM

The coal mining song is my fav bit I am biased. >;-)

Subject: RE: BS: 'Popcorn' Sutton... Moonshiner...
From: Beer
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 10:58 PM

Gnu turned me on to popcorn way back as well. Love the video's.
ad.

Subject: RE: BS: 'Popcorn' Sutton... Moonshiner...
From: olddude
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 11:07 PM

Those guys are awesome, I got so many emails from his family and friends. yea it is all about the tax money. nobody ever got sick from Popcorn's shine. He was a master and is now a folk legend for sure. Gonna see if they will send us some shine bobster, if so I am bringing it down to ya.

Subject: RE: BS: 'Popcorn' Sutton... Moonshiner...
From: olddude
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 11:09 PM

Here ya go Bruce
lightning Road

Subject: RE: BS: 'Popcorn' Sutton... Moonshiner...
From: Rapparee
Date: 20 Jan 13 - 06:09 AM

Ya see, I'm kinda biased. My brothers and me actually MADE whiskey, layin' there by the junipers when the moon was bright, watchin' them jugs a-fillin'. I've known 'shiners -- my granddaddy was one and served 180 days for not payin' off the right guys.

Good shine, made in a copper still without any lead solder anywhere, from good corn and no added sugar, done with care for the fire and watched as it should be, triple twisted, is beautiful to sip.

Stuff run through old car radiators and crap like that is pure pizen and gives the good stuff a bad name.

Yeah, it's about taxes and control. Legally, you could make up to five gallons at home -- in a registered still, for your own use -- couldn't even offer it to a friend to cut the dust of the road. Tax was put in to pay for the Revolutionary War and they couldn't enforce it (check out the Whiskey Rebellion) but after the Civil War the stuff had to age in charred casks to become "red whiskey" and if it weren't red, you were arrested and jailed and yer still busted up. We're still payin' for the Civil War.

Now, they don't have to catch you by the smoke. There're solar stills and even ways to freeze the good stuff out of the stuff of lesser quality. But since you guys would probably do it I ain't gonna tell you how here!

Subject: RE: BS: 'Popcorn' Sutton... Moonshiner...
From: Beer
Date: 20 Jan 13 - 08:40 AM

Beautiful Dan.
Ad.

Subject: RE: BS: 'Popcorn' Sutton... Moonshiner...
From: GUEST,999
Date: 20 Jan 13 - 10:34 AM

Thanks, Dan.

Shine can be just as good as some store-bought stuff. But it's wise to know the maker.

Subject: RE: BS: 'Popcorn' Sutton... Moonshiner...
From: olddude
Date: 20 Jan 13 - 11:35 AM

There is a show on the discovery channel called Moonshiner that I really like. It shows the guys in the woods and the cops trying to find them. It is a reality show, very good very interesting. One old timer decided that corn was too expensive because of the drought so he was making scotch ... he took barley and put it in water till it sprouted, then he smoked it in a smoker and then made his mash and distilled it. He had them line up to buy his hootch. Very interesting. Another was making George Washington shine. GW was the first really successful moonshiner. His hootch was in all the taverns after he became president. He would mix corn and rye.

Subject: RE: BS: 'Popcorn' Sutton... Moonshiner...
From: Bobert
Date: 20 Jan 13 - 01:24 PM

One of the P-Vine's sons and his wife and son watch that show... First of all, there ain't much reality in it but who cares... It's entertaining... I mean, real criminals don't like cameras filming their real crimes...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: 'Popcorn' Sutton... Moonshiner...
From: gnu
Date: 20 Jan 13 - 02:16 PM

I recall a PBS program about shinin in one of the southern states. Can't recall which state, say Georgia. It was a documentary that followed the building and use of a still in the woods. The last scene was priceless... POV looking at the still on a quiet daybreak; steam gently wafting into the cold air from the dew and being lit up by sun rays shining between the leaves; camera slowly pans back until the still is small in the view; violent explosion!!! As the credits come up... "This explosion has been made possible by the Georgia State Liquor Control Commission." Near busted a gut laffin.

Peg Leg, great uncle Henry, used to stay winters at my Gramps' house. He delivered fruits and veggies for Gramps who was the GM for The Willard fruit company in return fer all found. A hell of a deal back then and Gramps never worked him hard. He was haulin a toboggan with five five gallon jugs of shine covered with a blanket past the cop shop. A huge Irish cop, a relative, was standing on the steps and shouted, "Whaddya got on yer sleigh, Peg Leg." Uncle Henry stopped, caught his breath and said, "25 gallons of Handbrand alcohol!" The cop said, "Go on ya daft bugger and deliver those groceries before they freeze." He did.

This is cool... to me. Wrote a song about him about 30 years ago and it's in the vault. Ten years ago, at my Uncle Chic's 80th birthday do, one of my cousins sang a song he had written and the similarities were astonishing. Except mine ain't so damn long and rambling and it's far better. >;-)