Billy Mays
William Darrell Mays Jr. (July 20, 1958 – June 28, 2009) was an American television direct-response advertisement salesperson. Throughout his career, he promoted a wide variety of products, including OxiClean, Orange Glo, Kaboom, and Zorbeez. His promotions aired mostly on the Home Shopping Network through his company, Mays Promotions, Inc., although they aired on various other syndicated networks. Mays and his business partner, Anthony Sullivan, were also featured on "PitchMen", a Discovery Channel television series that documented their work. His distinctive beard, attire, loud voice, and impassioned sales pitches made him a recognized television presence in the United  States and Canada. Early life. Mays was born on July 20, 1958, in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, and raised in nearby Pittsburgh. He was a student at Sto-Rox High School, and later West Virginia University, where he was a walk-on linebacker on its football team during his two years there. Career. Early work. After dropping out of college, Mays worked for his father's hazardous waste company before moving to Atlantic City, New Jersey in 1983. On the Atlantic City boardwalk, Mays sold the Washmatik portable washing device to passersby, along with other "As Seen on TV" products. In  Atlantic City, he was taught how to sell by the older salesmen, saying "I was taught to pitch by a lot of old pitchmen. That's the kind of style I have." Mays then traveled to home shows, auto shows, and state fairs across the United States for a period of twelve years, selling various maintenance products and tools, including cleaning products and food choppers. Television pitching. At a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania home show in 1993, Mays struck up a friendship with rival salesman Max Appel, founder of Orange Glo International, a Denver-based manufacturer of cleaning products. He was then  hired by the company to promote their line of cleaners, OxiClean, Orange Clean, Orange Glo, and Kaboom, on the Home Shopping Network in St. Petersburg, Florida. That same year he also befriended another future pitchman, Anthony Sullivan. Customer response to Mays' sales pitches was enthusiastic, with a sharp increase in sales after his first day on the network, although some reviews were poor. He was very well known for shouting in an abrasive manner during infomercials. For example, "The Washington Post" staff writer Frank Ahrens called him and other similar television salesmen "a full-volume pitchman, amped up like a  candidate for a tranquilizer-gun takedown". In October 2000, Mays shot an infomercial for the then-three-year-old OxiClean corporation. He would be a staple of the brand, as well as for the wider company, Orange Glo. Later on he would appear in Kaboom infomercials. Mays was the CEO and founder of Mays Promotions, Inc., based at his home in Odessa, Florida. His services as a pitchman became highly sought-after, and he appeared in commercials for many diverse "As Seen On TV" products such as Mighty Putty. Mays claimed to be an avid user of the products he  promoted. In December 2008, Mays began appearing in ads for ESPN's online service, ESPN360. These ads were a slight departure for Mays as they were designed to be parodies of his and other infomercial clichés. He also made a live appearance during the 2008 Champs Sports Bowl promoting ESPN's and ABC's January 1, 2009, bowl games. Prior to his death, Mays had signed a deal with Taco Bell to film infomercial-style commercials for the chain. Shooting was scheduled to begin in August 2009. On April 15, 2009, the Discovery Channel began airing "PitchMen", a documentary series  that featured Mays and Anthony Sullivan in their jobs in direct-response marketing. After Mays' death, Discovery Channel aired a special Billy Mays tribute special, "". On March 27, 2009, Mays appeared on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno". He and Sullivan also appeared on "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" on June 23, 2009, five days before his death. Personal life. Mays' first marriage was to Dolores "Dee Dee" Mays, which ended in divorce. He had a son with Dolores named Billy Mays III (born August 12, 1986) who worked as a production assistant alongside his father on the "PitchMen  television show. Mays had a daughter, Elizabeth, with his second wife, Deborah Mays. His daughter was three years old at the time of his death. Mays' mother is Joyce Palm, and his father is Billy Mays Sr.; he was survived by both. In an interview during the 2008 presidential election, Mays said he was a Republican. Death. Mays, aged 50, was found unresponsive by his wife in his Tampa, Florida, home on the morning of June 28, 2009. He was pronounced dead at 7:45 a.m., appearing to have died sometime overnight. The Associated Press reported there were no indications that 	Billy Mays
13616108	the house had been burglarized, and that police did not suspect foul play. Initially, there was incorrect speculation that he had died of a head injury, after being struck on the head by luggage after an airline landing mishap where tires blew out. After an initial autopsy on June 29, 2009, Vernard Adams, the Hillsborough County, Florida medical examiner, stated that Mays suffered from hypertensive heart disease and that heart disease was the likely cause of his death. According to a toxicology report released August 7, 2009, heart disease was the primary cause of death" and cocaine was listed as  a "contributory cause of death." In response to the release of the toxicology report, the Mays family issued a press release stating, "We are extremely disappointed by the press release released by the Hillsborough County medical examiner's office. We believe it contains speculative conclusions that are frankly unnecessary and tend to obscure the conclusion that Billy suffered from chronic, untreated hypertension" and said in the release that they were considering "an independent evaluation of the autopsy results". The medical examiner concluded that "cocaine use caused or contributed to the development of his heart disease, and thereby contributed to his  death," the office said in a press release. The office said Mays last used cocaine in the few days before his death but was not under the influence of the drug when he died. Hillsborough County spokeswoman Lori Hudson said that nothing in the toxicology report indicated the frequency of Mays' cocaine use. Cocaine can raise the arterial blood pressure, directly cause hypertrophy of the left ventricle, and accelerate the formation of atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries, the release said. However, in October 2009, the results of a second medical examination, commissioned by Mays' family, concluded that cocaine was not  a "significant contributing factor" to his death. According to subsequent news reports, the toxicology tests also showed levels of painkillers hydrocodone, oxycodone, and tramadol, as well as anti-anxiety drugs alprazolam and diazepam. Mays suffered from hip problems and was scheduled to have had hip replacement surgery the day after he was found dead. Mays' funeral was held on July 3, 2009, in his hometown of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania. The pallbearers wore blue shirts and khaki pants at the funeral, much like Mays wore when he advertised his products. He is buried in Mount Calvary Cemetery. In the immediate aftermath  of his death, many companies pulled ads featuring Mays from the air. By mid-July, with his family's consent, some ads were put back into rotation, alongside newer ones that Mays had filmed prior to his death. In popular culture. His catchphrase and infomercials made Billy Mays a notable icon in popular culture, with many shows, YouTube videos, and films lampooning him. In the "South Park" episode "Dead Celebrities", Mays' ghost appears repeatedly to Ike Broflovski, trying to sell him products from the afterlife with his catchphrase "Hi, Billy Mays here with the...". Mays' son, Billy III, a self -proclaimed "South Park" fan, said he loved "Dead Celebrities", and found its portrayal of his father to be both tasteful and respectful. He was portrayed by comedian Colin J. Sweeney in the season 1 episode of "Epic Rap Battles of History", 'Billy Mays vs. Ben Franklin'. In the middle of the battle, Mays passes away and has his second verse covered by fellow infomercial pitchman, Vince Offer, portrayed by Peter Shukoff.