Jim Tom Hedrick obit

Jim Tom Hedrick, Moonshiners Star, Dead at 82

 He was not on the list.

Marvin “Jim Tom” Hedrick, who for five seasons starred on Discovery’s distillery-themed reality show Moonshiners, died Wednesday of kidney cancer, TMZ reports. He was 82.

The series, which launched in 2012, follows the lives of individuals who produce illegal moonshine in the Appalachian mountains. Hedrick joined the cast in Season 2 and remained with the show for five years, through Season 6.

“Jim Tom’s well-earned reputation as one of the most skilled moonshiners in the South earned him a role on the hit television program Moonshiners, where his colorful personality endeared [him] to… millions,” Sugarlands Distilling Co said in a statement on Instagram. “Jim Tom touched the lives of countless individuals and was especially eager to pass along his lifetime of moonshining knowledge to a new generation of distillers, ensuring the craft would endure.”

Added Sugarlands president and founder Ned Vickers: “Jim Tom was one of the first veteran moonshiners to truly embrace Sugarlands when we opened our doors. Gaining the stamp of approval from Jim Tom was instrumental in shaping the authenticity of Sugarlands, and we’re forever indebted to his support and friendship.”