Pitchman Billy Mays found dead

[Reno Paul]

They are all dropping like flies.....

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Billy Mays, OxiClean pitchman, found dead

• Story Highlights
• Billy Mays, 50, is best known for his ads in which he shouts the attributes of OxiClean
• The pitchman was pronounced dead Sunday morning, authorities said
• Mays was on a plane that had a rough landing in Tampa, Florida, on Saturday
  

updated 57 minutes ago

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(CNN) -- Infomercial pitchman Billy Mays died at his Tampa, Florida, home Sunday morning, authorities told CNN.
OxiClean pitchman Billy Mays died Sunday morning at his home in Tampa, authorities said.





The 50-year-old known for his shouting OxiClean ads was pronounced dead at 7:45 a.m. The Hillsborough County medical examiner will perform an autopsy, Tampa police Lt. Brian Dugan said.
Mays was on the US Airways flight from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Tampa on Saturday that had a hard landing at Tampa International Airport when the plane's front tire blew out. There were no reported injuries on Flight 1241, US Airways told CNN.
According to a local Tampa TV station, Mays said: "All of a sudden as we hit you know it was just the hardest hit, all the things from the ceiling started dropping. It hit me on the head, but I got a hard head."
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Airline spokesman Jim Olson told CNN Sunday there were no reported passenger injuries from flight 1241. The airline vowed to "cooperate fully" with authorities in the investigation.
"We were very sad to learn of Billy Mays' passing and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family," Olson said. Tampa officials say the Medical Examiner's Office expects to complete an autopsy by Monday afternoon. In a statement, Deborah Mays said that although "Billy lived a public life," the family does not plan immediate public statements about his death.
Mays was a spokesman for Orange Glo and detergent OxiClean and appeared in commercials for other products.




He is featured on the reality TV show ''Pitchmen'' on the Discovery Channel, which follows pitch people in their jobs.
"It is with incredible sadness that we have to report that Billy Mays died in his sleep last night," said a statement from the Discovery Channel. "Everyone that knows him was aware of his larger-than-life personality, generosity and warmth. 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. Our deepest sympathies go out to his family at this time of incredible loss."

[Dirty]

This is totally shocking

[cassiusclay]

i just started watching his show "pitchmen"...was a decent show.

[Dirty]

It sure wasn't must see TV, but in the summer it was worth watching with little else on

[Dirty]

Medical examiner: Pitchman Mays had heart disease

By MITCH STACY
Associated Press Writer
TAMPA, Fla. — Television pitchman Billy Mays likely died of a heart attack in his sleep, but further tests are needed to be sure of the cause of death, a medical examiner said Monday.
Hillsborough County Medical Examiner Vernard Adams said Mays suffered from hypertensive heart disease, and the wall of the left ventricle of Mays' heart and the wall of one of his arteries were enlarged. The boisterous, bearded 50-year-old known for hawking OxiClean and other products on national commercials was found dead Sunday by his wife in their Tampa condominium.

(enlarge photo) Hillsborough County Medical Examiner, Dr. Vernard Adams, addresses the media following an autopsy for TV pitchman Bill Mays Monday, June 29, 2009 in Tampa, Fla. Adams said that Mays likely died of a heart attack in his sleep, but further tests are needed before a conclusive cause of death can be recorded. Mays was found dead Sunday morning at his Tampa, Fla. home. (AP photo/Chris O'Meara)

"The heart disease is perfectly consistent with sudden death," Adams said.
An official cause of death will be issued after toxicology and other tests are completed in eight to 10 weeks.
"While it provides some closure to learn that heart disease took Billy from us, it certainly doesn't ease the enormous void that his death has created in our lives," his wife, Deborah, said in a statement. "As you can imagine, we are all devastated."
Adams said Mays was taking the prescription painkillers Tramadol and hydrocodone for hip pain, but there was no indication of drug abuse. Mays had planned to have hip-replacement surgery Monday.
Mays told his wife he didn't feel well when he went to bed sometime after 10 p.m. Saturday. Earlier in the day, he said he was hit on the head when his flight from Philadelphia had a rough landing at Tampa International Airport. The airline said no passengers reported serious injuries.
Adams said the autopsy showed no evidence of head trauma.
In a 911 tape released Monday, a frantic woman tells emergency operators she found Mays cold and unresponsive. The woman isn't identified, but police have said Deborah Mays found her husband dead.
When asked what had happened, the caller says she doesn't know.
A second person got on the phone as the operator encourages them to get Mays on the floor to start CPR.
"We can't get him up, ma'am," the woman says. "He's gone."
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, now known as HSN.
Commercials and informercials followed, anchored by the high-energy Mays using them while tossing out kitschy phrases like, "Long live your laundry!"
HSN released a statement Monday morning, praising Mays as a "legend in the electronic retail history whose personality, entrepreneurial spirit and thoughtfulness for others have always been larger than life."
His ubiquitousness and thumbs-up, in-your-face pitches won Mays plenty of fans for his commercials on a wide variety of products. People lined up at his personal appearances for autographed color glossies, and strangers stopped 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.
Besides his wife, Mays is survived by a 3-year-old daughter and a stepson in his 20s, police said.
__
Associated Press Writers Christine Armario in Tampa, Sarah Larimer in Miami and Ron Todt in Philadelphia contributed to this report.
___
June 29, 2009 - 1:43 p.m.





Medical examiner: Pitchman Mays had heart disease | ajc.com

[Reno Paul]

Watched Pitchmen a couple times on Discovery. Gotta admit Billy was the best at what he did.

[Reno Paul]

Pitchmen marathon on all day Wednesday on Discovery . The final episode will be on at 10 pm. May catch an episode or two in memory of Billy.

[Reload]

Heard about this while in the air on JetBlue Sunday. Was sad that I just saw the ESPN 360 commercial with him in it about 2 hours before the news.

[GamblingMike]

Wow,he was just in Manhattan a few weeks ago!

Rest in peace Billy Mays.

[Dirty]

I watched a lot of the marathon... this guy was generally a great person.... he cared about people... If you get a chance watch the episode about the spot remover... it is in the title.... Him and Scully help a 17 year old kid whose family is broke get his idea to market....

[Dirty]

Gallery | Billy Mays' funeral held outside Pittsburgh | accessatlanta.com

[Dirty]

Tribute on at 9 pm EST tonight on Discover Channel

278 on DTV

[Reno Paul]

Tribute on at 9 pm EST tonight on Discover Channel

278 on DTV

I'll be watching........The guy put everything he had to pitch his products.

[Ego74]

Tribute on at 9 pm EST tonight on Discover Channel

278 on DTV

Watched this earlier... Very well done. Not ashamed to admit I got a little teary-eyed during the part about him and his family

[Dirty]

I got it on TIVO and I am sure I will Cry... I cried during the last episode know he had already croaked

[Dirty]

I am watching the remembrance show now... I will probably shed a few tears

I TIVO'd it

[Dirty]

I am Crying.... that is a fact

[Reno Paul]

It is sad that he left a beautiful little daughter and a nice family......I took his death harder than Michael Jackson and that is a no brainer.

[Dirty]

man I am halfway Thru the show and I am crying like a baby