Billy Mays found dead

[cmspaz]

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Billy Mays, the burly, bearded television pitchman whose boisterous hawking of products such as Orange Glo and OxiClean made him a pop-culture icon, has died. He was 50.

Tampa police said Mays was found unresponsive by his wife Sunday morning. A fire rescue crew pronounced him dead at 7:45 a.m.

There were no signs of a break-in, and investigators do not suspect foul play, said Lt. Brian Dugan of the Tampa Police Department, who wouldn't answer any more questions about how Mays' body was found because of the ongoing investigation. The coroner's office expects to have an autopsy done by Monday afternoon.

Mays' wife, Deborah Mays, told investigators that her husband had complained he didn't feel well before he went to bed some time after 10 p.m. Saturday night, Tampa police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said.

"Although Billy lived a public life, we don't anticipate making any public statements over the next couple of days," Deborah Mays said in a statement Sunday. "Our family asks that you respect our privacy during these difficult times."

U.S. Airways confirmed Sunday that Mays was among the passengers on a flight that made a rough landing on Saturday afternoon at Tampa International Airport, leaving debris on the runway after apparently blowing its front tires.

Tampa Bay's Fox television affiliate interviewed Mays after the incident.

"All of a sudden as we hit you know it was just the hardest hit, all the things from the ceiling started dropping," MyFox Tampa Bay quoted him as saying. "It hit me on the head, but I got a hard head."

McElroy said linking Mays' death to the rough landing Saturday afternoon would "purely be speculation." She said Mays' family members didn't report any health issues with the pitchman, but they said he was due to have hip replacement surgery in the coming weeks.

Born William Mays in McKees Rocks, Pa., on July 20, 1958, Mays developed his style demonstrating knives, mops and other "as seen on TV" gadgets on Atlantic City's boardwalk. For years he worked as a hired gun on the state fair and home show circuits, attracting crowds with his booming voice and genial manner.

After meeting Orange Glo International founder Max Appel at a home show in Pittsburgh in the mid-1990s, Mays was recruited to demonstrate the environmentally friendly line of cleaning products on the St. Petersburg-based Home Shopping Network.

Commercials and informercials followed, anchored by the high-energy Mays showing how it's done while tossing out kitschy phrases like, "Long live your laundry!"

Recently he's been seen on commercials for a wide variety of products and is featured on the reality TV show "Pitchmen" on the Discovery Channel, which follows Mays and Anthony Sullivan in their marketing jobs. He's also been seen in ESPN ads.

His ubiquitousness and thumbs-up, in-your-face pitches won Mays plenty of fans. People line up at his personal appearances for autographed color glossies, and strangers stop him in airports to chat about the products.

"I enjoy what I do," Mays told The Associated Press in a 2002 interview. "I think it shows."

Mays liked to tell the story of giving bottles of OxiClean to the 300 guests at his wedding, and doing his ad spiel ("powered by the air we breathe!") on the dance floor at the reception. Visitors to his house typically got bottles of cleaner and housekeeping tips.

As part of "Pitchmen," Mays and Sullivan showed viewers new gadgets such as the Impact Gel shoe insert; the Tool Band-it, a magnetized armband that holds tools; and the Soft Buns portable seat cushion.

"One of the things that we hope to do with 'Pitchmen' is to give people an appreciation of what we do," Mays told The Tampa Tribune in an interview in April. "I don't take on a product unless I believe in it. I use everything that I sell."

Discovery Channel spokeswoman Elizabeth Hillman released a statement Sunday extending sympathy to the Mays family.

"Everyone that knows him was aware of his larger-than-life personality, generosity and warmth," Hillman's statement said. "Billy was a pioneer in his field and helped many people fulfill their dreams. He will be greatly missed as a loyal and compassionate friend."

In his honor, I'm going to turn a cup into a mug.

[jhaan_dude]

dang, no more oxyclean commercials...

[Febo]

Wow, that guy was awesome. Thats too bad to hear.

[bluedeath]

so wierd i was just watching the show pitchmen with him on it this morning.

[scheides]

Pretty young, wonder if this is some sort of conspiracy related to MJ's death. Either way, buy up all the mighty putty and mighty stitch you can! Wonder if they'll keep playing his commercials.

[ylimert01]

sad sad day...no more fantastic products. no more billy mays dubs...sad sad day he will be missed.

[goodhart]

Fuck, hollywood is slowly dying off....

Well at least we still got the sham-wow guy right?

[Kracka]

Originally Posted by goodhart

Well at least we still got the sham-wow guy right?

He is annoying, luckily he is in jail.

[Kracka]

Originally Posted by scheides

Either way, buy up all the mighty putty and mighty stitch you can!

LOL Mighty Mend It! Its on my wedding registry

[goodhart]

Originally Posted by Kracka

He is annoying, luckily he is in jail.

I heard he got busted for picking up prostitutes is that why? lol

[Febo]

Originally Posted by goodhart

I heard he got busted for picking up prostitutes is that why? lol

I thought it was beating up prostitutes

[cmspaz]

The charges were made by a prostitute, then later dropped. I guess she really did love his nuts.

This is the 4th celebrity death in the past week, though, guess the Grim Reaper's working overtime.

[311evo]

:'(

RIP Billy

[curt_gendron]

I heard the news a few hours after watching one of his commercials. I wonder if that hit to his head from the airplane caused some injury that progressed and he didn't know it. We'll see.

RIP

[polishmafia]

The bump to the head thing sounds like what happened to Natasha Richardson.

[311evo]

Turns out Billy had a heart disease, and a heart attack is what killed him.

[Kevin 1G Drummer]

That sucks. R.I.P. Billy

[WRX]

Heck yes it is. Everyone should buy it in support of Billy Mays. Just like Michael Jackson's record sales soared, so should Mighty Putty and Mighty Mend It!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by Kracka

LOL Mighty Mend It! Its on my wedding registry

[Halon]

that dual rotating angle grinder thing he was promoting on TV seemed kinda cool.

[DontStopMe]

They say celebrity deaths happen in threes - leave it to Billy Mays to give us one more ABSOLUTELY FREE!

bad i know, but still funny.