Marvin Popcorn Sutton was a mountain legend, plain and simple. Born and raised in Maggie Valley, North Carolina, he spent his days running the backroads between there and Cocke County, Tennessee, making moonshine the way his people always had. Popcorn wasn’t shy about what he did. He told his story in books and home videos, showing the world what honest mountain living looked like. Folks around here still trade stories about Popcorn.
Making moonshine was in Popcorn’s blood, handed down from the folks before him. He got his nickname after a scuffle with a popcorn machine at a bar, and it stuck, just like things do around here in the Appalachian Mountains. The law came knocking plenty of times, but he always bounced back, never letting it stop him from doing what he loved. Moonshining wasn’t just a living for Popcorn—it was who he was, and he shared it with anyone who’d listen, whether it was in his shop, on film, or out by the still.
Unfortunately, Marvin Popcorn Sutton passed away on March 16, 2009. Today, Popcorn is remembered as a pioneer and a piece of mountain history.
Written By John G. Clark Jr.