Aside from television fame, ‘Jim Tom’ fondly remembered
“I out-slickered ‘em.”
In an interview with The Graham Star in 2013, Marvin “Jim Tom” Hedrick displayed a badge of honor when pointing out he was never arrested for producing moonshine throughout his life.
Hedrick passed away Sept. 6 at Graham Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center, after enduring a lengthy battle with kidney cancer.
He was 82 – and news of his death spread almost as quickly as the white lightnin’ he manufactured from a young age.
Learning a craft
Born Christmas Day in 1940, Hedrick was 15 when he first began to learn the tricks of the trade, so to speak: he would transport sugar across Fontana Lake and deep into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where his boss would be waiting to get to work on production.
And he quickly proved his reliability and trustworthiness by keeping his mouth shut about the work.
“You couldn’t pry anything out of me with a crowbar,” Hedrick told the Star in 2013.
He later branched off on his own, earning a reputation for creating some of the best moonshine around.
“I ain’t braggin’, but I was a good liquor-maker,” said Hedrick. “There was a lot of work and it had to be done in a night – that’s why they call it ‘moonshine.’”
It was on the heels of his consistent quality that Hedrick became known around Graham County and the surrounding region.
His notoriety opened the door for a featured part in a 1999 independent film, “Moonshine.”
Later, Hedrick found widespread fame as a member of the Discovery Channel’s “Moonshiners” television series – a show that bears the appropriate theme song, “Copperhead Road,” by Steve Earle and is currently in its 12th season.
Hedrick appeared from seasons 2-6 (2012-17).
Stories pour in
The Star announced Hedrick’s passing on its Facebook page at 1:14 p.m. Sept. 6.
It did not take long for tales of Hedrick’s life to fulfill the request for tributes.
“Jim Tom had just got his license back, and he was on probation,” recalled Facebook user Mosco Rogers. “They put a breathalyzer machine on his old Eagle car; it was 4wd (4-wheel drive). If you had been drinking alcohol, it would pick up and the car wouldn’t start. I heard he asked a man to breathe in it and he’d give them a couple of dollars. He was a good man with a great sense of humor; I’ll miss him.”
“Tom showed the world how beautiful our state was and that people care about each other,” Tammy Stiles-Thomas pointed out. “He always could make you laugh and feel good. I loved him on the show; met him one time. He was a true Appalachian man. His music was awesome to. But (I) will remember him as an American that loved life and everyone.”
“Not only was Jim Tom my 1st cousin, he was my friend,” Gina Robinson Cody said. “I grew up laughing at his stories, he was always around the store (Robinson’s Grocery). He loved kids, and all the kids loved him. He’s the real deal. Jim Tom never met a stranger and he never changed to impress anyone.”
“He was always super nice to me,” Robbinsville High School senior Aidan Holder explained. “Back in the day he lived near me. I had a little tikes car, like one of the ones with a battery and all that, I would always stop by his house and he would be sitting on the porch. He would act just like I was a NASCAR driver; every time I passed by his house, he would act as if he was fueling it up and give me a water and send me right on my way, and every time i would drop by he would name a different NASCAR driver. He was the best pit crew ever!”
“I went to school with Jim Tom, he sure did like to keep the teachers on their toes,” Janet Lequire recalled. “All the boys from Snowbird liked to eat ramps, so the teacher would make them sit in the hall. He was always a good friend; I took my sister-in-law to meet him a couple years ago. He loved my brother James and my husband Melvin. He was such a sweet, unique person!”
The list of comments and widespread sorrow expressed by anyone hearing of his passing show the impact Jim Tom had in the world. To many, he was their direct link to Graham County.
“He was a very fine man indeed,” said Rob Mason. “His character and personality outshined the moonshine anyday.”