How old is Jim Tom on Moonshiners, and is he still alive?

Jim Tom on Moonshiners
Jim Tom talking about whiskey and women. Pic credit: Discovery

Fans of Moonshiners are wondering where the salty and “tell it like it is” star Jim Tom is these days.

Along with the needed subtitles, Jim Tom began appearing on the Discovery series about America’s rural distillers in season two and was featured up until season 6. He has been hard to find on the show since.

Fans are curious as to his whereabouts, but rest assure that this “Appalachian Yoda” whose fondness for knocking back the rye and loving on the women, sometimes two at a time, is still around at the age of 78.

People are concerned if he’s passed away or has wound up in jail. Since Jim Tom is a bit of a Luddite and eschews the socials, we found the oldtimer selling some fancy unaged rye on a website.

According to his unofficial fan page, this elder Tennessee moonshiner and country singer is alive and living in North Carolina.

Jim Tom achieved his fame from doing several interviews, getting some roles in odd movies and appearing in Matt Stillwell’s music video Shine in 2009.

Jim Tom later found fame with Discovery and the series Moonshiners.

Jim Tom’s way with words and lack of guile have earned him legions of fans. In the video above he describes an unlikely Appalachian threesome encounter thanks to drinking the moonshine.

He says:

“Women and booze… ain’t never been nothing that matches like that together. Lord have mercy… she starts getting prettier… you do do that’s what she says…so you end up with a ball…hmm well the last my mind I said you’re a sweet nothing woman gonna get hitched up… course that was wine are talking that time now I woke up with them I remember, I woke up there was two in the tent… one time we did a big party and when I woke up I was between two [women] … she weighed 400 pound had a big leather pocket book and this other one [woman] I didn’t know either one of them. I said I’m going!”


In the clip we make out that Jim Tom switched to drinking scotch whisky after he wound up in a Tennessee tryst with mystery women.

This season of Moonshiners, Outlaw turned legal moonshiner, Tim Smith, is working hard to get his legal brand established. This season, Tim’s double rye recipe that his former partner Tickle created from adding too much rye to a test batch of whiskey is taking off.

Also, Mark Ramsey and his partner Digger are creating more small batch craft liquors.

Former professional motocross racer turned stock car driver, trophy hunter, and moonshiner, Josh, is taking his mobile still hidden inside his racecar trailer around.

Fourth generation moonshiner, Patti is bringing her distilling operation to Louisiana with her husband, Dallas and father, David.

And Jim Tom’s reputation as the king of the moonshiners hangs over the entire cast who all have great anecdotes about him to share.

Throughout the season, these moonshiners must support each other and come together to keep their traditional way of life alive.

Moonshiners airs Wednesdays on Discovery.

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