Billy Mays found dead at 50

June 28, 4:07 PMCharlotte Interior Improvement ExaminerJenny Wagner

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Billy Mays became a recognizable presence in many homes across the country when he began selling products such as OxiClean, Orange Glo, Orange Clean, and Kaboom.  While many people may not recognize the name Billy Mays, they certainly recognize his face and the products he sells.  Now, Billy Mays, popular pitchman for several informercial products has died at 50 years of age.

Billy Mays, well known by many for his rugged appearance, and boisterous voice, was found dead at his home in Tampa, Florida. According to the Associated Press, Billy Mays was found unresponsive by his wife Sunday morning and was pronounced dead at  7:45am.                                                                                            

Authorities report no signs of a break-in, and foul play is not suspected. The corner's office in Tampa, Florida expects to perform an autopsy by Monday afternoon.

Tampa area media outlets reported that Mays was a passenger on a U.S. Airways Flight 1241 that made a rough landing on Saturday afternoon at Tampa International Airport. Affiliate station FOX 13 interviewed Billy Mays after the incident, where Mays joked with reporters and revealed, "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." Some are speculating whether this incident could have contributed to the sudden death of Billy Mays.

According to local news website, Tampa Bay.com, Mays told his family on Saturday that we wasn't feeling well and went to bed at approximately 10:00pm. It was early the next morning that his wife, Deborah, found him unresponsive in their home.

Billy Mays became a recognizable presence in many homes across the country when he began selling products such as OxiClean, Orange Glo, Orange Clean, and Kaboom. His loud, abrasive voice caught the attention of viewers, and in 2009 the show, "Pitchmen" began airing on the Discovery Channel. In the reality based series, "Pitchmen", cameras follow Billy Mays and Anthony Sullivan in their marketing jobs. Discovery Channel spokeswoman Elizabeth Hillman released a statement Sunday extending sympathy to the Mays family.

A statement has been made by Billy Mays' wife, Deborah, stating, "Although Billy lived a public life, we don't anticipate making any public statements over the next couple of days. Our family asks that you respect our privacy during these difficult times."
 

William "Billy" D. May, Jr. July 20, 1958 - June 28, 2009

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• SOURCES:  Portions of this article were previously published on Associated Content. 
• OTHER SOURCES: Associated Press / Tampa Bay.com /   PHOTO CREDIT : AP Photo