Nationally known TV ad pitchman Billy Mays, 50, was found dead this morning in his Tampa home, the Tampa Police Department reported. Billy Mays is best known as the TV spokesman for Oxy-Clean, Orange-Glo and most recently Discovery Channel show "Pitchmen"
Mays was found unresponsive by his wife and the Tampa Fire Rescue pronounced him dead at 7:45 a.m., the report said.
Billy Mays is the third young star in the last week to die an early and unfortante death: he follows Farrah Fawcett and pop star Michael Jackson.
Apparently, Mays was on a US Airways plane that made a rough landing yesterday and might have hit his head.
Billy Mays was found dead this morning. Billy Mays is best known as the TV spokesman for Oxy-Clean, Orange-Glo and most recently Discovery Channel show "Pitchmen"
Mays was found unresponsive by his wife and the Tampa Fire Rescue pronounced him dead at 7:45 a.m., the report said.
"Although Billy lived a public life, we don't anticipate making any public statements over the next couple of days," Mays' wife Deborah said in a statement the police released.
Mays was on U.S. Airways Flight 1241 when it blew its front tires as it landed Saturday, forcing the airport to shut down the busy north-south runway, according to authorities.
US Airways spokesman Jim Olson said that none of the 138 passengers and five crew members were injured in the incident, but several passengers reported having bumps and bruises, according to the station. The US Airways Boeing 737's front tires blew on landing Saturday at noon, causing the aircraft's nose to smash into the runway.
The aircraft accident may have caused a bump to the head and is the leading theory to the cause of Billy Mays' passing. Billy was interviewed shortly after landing, "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."
Mays reportedly was at his home around 6:00 PM last night, and according to a source Mays was "acting fine and normal ... he was talking business with his father-in-law."
William "Billy" D. Mays, Jr. was born in 1958. Making a name for himself as a television direct-response advertisement salesperson most notable for promoting OxiClean, Orange Glo, and other cleaning, home-based, and maintenance products. His distinctive beard and loud sales pitches have made him a recognizable television presence.
The son of Billy Mays wrote on his personal Twitter: "My dad didn't wake up this morning" and "He's gone. I'm gonna be strong for him."
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."
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