WAS living his life.
This guy ended his life over being sentenced to the Federal Pen for illegal distillation/ production of distilled spirits, and firearms possession as a felon, as defined in Federal Statutes. Most do not know it is illegal for anyone to produce shine/ethanol distilled spirits even for personal use- and definitely not for sale.
80 gallons a year of self made beer is legal for self consumption, and again not for sale.
Popcorn Sutton was caught by Federal Agents making shine for the last time and sentenced to the Federal Pen at age 62 for that and the possession of illegal firearms, as a felon. Rather than report for prison and also diagnosed with terminal cancer— he killed himself by carbon monoxide inhalation in his old Ford Fairmont at his home.
Agree he should have been left alone to his Heritage Scots Irish tradition of storing a corn crop in liquid form that for many decades in US history was used as “money” to keep in the farming business and KEEP the land in the family.
Hank Williams, Jr wrote a tune for Popcorn, and post mortem purchased from his widow his recipe/method to develop a licensed and BONDED/taxed whiskey brand (with Popcorn’s name) under ownership of... Hank Williams, Jr. The company produced product in a square bottle black label and was sued and sequential tenderings now place it in ownership of the 2nd largest spritous distiller in the US, William Goldring’s Sazerac Company.
Thanks for that background.