Number 4.. Billy Mays dead at 50

[Watt]

TMZ has confirmed TV pitchman Billy Mays was found dead today in his home in Tampa, Florida early this morning.

According to the Tampa PD, the 50-year-old TV pitchman was found unresponsive by his wife Deborah at 7:45 AM.

TMZ has learned Mays' body has already been removed from his home.

Mays had just returned from Philadelphia, where he shot a new OxiClean commercial. He was a passenger aboard a plane that suffered a blown front tire upon landing. He told a local TV station, "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."

We're told Mays 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."

According to cops, there are no signs of forced entry to the residence and no foul play is suspected.

The Medical Examiner's office is expected to complete the autopsy by tomorrow afternoon.

Billy's wife Deborah just released the following statement:

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.


http://www.tmz.com/2009/06/28/billy-mays-is-dead/


Will this start a new chain of 3?

[StewieG]

Wow. Prayers to his family.

Where was Vince the Shamwow guy during all of this?

[jfiling]

Sounds like the Natasha Richardson case. A blow to the head, seemingly minor, that causes death a few hours later. RIP Billy, I love the show Pitchmen.

[Bayou Tribe]

Where was Vince the Shamwow guy during all of this?

Dammit, you beat me to it.

So is this the start of a new 3?

[StewieG]

I may have to rethink my position on Vince.

He hawks products, beats up hookers, and is now apparently an assassin. Dude's badass.

[Bayou Tribe]

Ziner was on it from jump street, dude is a certified badass.

As far as I am concerned, there is no more Vince Shlomi, only Don Shlomi

[leadpipe]

Well, at least if he was suffering some bleeding, his wife should have a decent product hanging around the house for a quick, easy clean-up.

[Orenthal]

You guys are rough sheesh...

[skatingtripods]

You guys are rough sheesh...

I texted my buddy and he said, "Now he can find Michael Jackson and use Oxi Clean to help bleach the last bit of black off of him".

Nothing I've read/heard has been rougher than that.

[Guest]

Maybe the best beard ever.......................

[Orenthal]

Yeah the beard was classic, and the one liners are expected, the guy was a classic pitchman. Just sucks because I actually liked Mays... The Jackson jokes I could care less about... lol double standard ftw!!!

[davemanddd]

i would hardly consider an infomercial product-pusher like billy mays even in the same league as michael jackson, farrah fawcett & ed mcmahon. they were true superstar celebrity icons. mays was just a guy with an obviously dyed beard and a bombastic voice. big whoop. would it be any more different than say if the guy who sings those catchy "free credit report dot com" commercials was to suddenly die??? yes its sad for the mays family, but to consider him # 4 of this group or the start of a new group of 3, i beg to differ.

[jordan kramer]

can't have a Billy Mays thread with out posting some of my favorite youtube parities of his commercials


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQssF0v8_I4&feature=related[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjmQ1sPeWlU&feature=related[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MPrxurvkuk&feature=related[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOmvdeNa67E&feature=PlayList&p=3D4353BFC8D77DD1&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=7[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY0tTewZYmY&feature=PlayList&p=3D4353BFC8D77DD1&index=10[/youtube]

R.I.P. Billy, you were the greatest salesman this little blue planet has even known...

[Triple-S]

I heard Michael Jackson requested him to try and sell himself into heaven.

Billy Mays was a badass salesman. Word has it he was going to do some Taco Bell commercials, which would have been amazing considering how bad their ads are.

RIP man, you were gone too soon .

[Orenthal]

i would hardly consider an infomercial product-pusher like billy mays even in the same league as michael jackson, farrah fawcett & ed mcmahon. they were true superstar celebrity icons. mays was just a guy with an obviously dyed beard and a bombastic voice. big whoop. would it be any more different than say if the guy who sings those catchy "free credit report dot com" commercials was to suddenly die??? yes its sad for the mays family, but to consider him # 4 of this group or the start of a new group of 3, i beg to differ.

I actually put him above those people... I'm not a fan of music, sidekicks, or boobs. I like to be sold!!!

[Mr. MacPhisto]

I actually put him above those people... I'm not a fan of music, sidekicks, or boobs. I like to be sold!!!

How can anyone not like boobs?

[StewieG]

Yeah the beard was classic, and the one liners are expected, the guy was a classic pitchman. Just sucks because I actually liked Mays... The Jackson jokes I could care less about... lol double standard ftw!!!

I actually thought Billy Mays was great. In the war between him and the hooker-beater, I was on his side completely.

It's just that one-liners are too tough to lay off. They keep you sane in a mad, mad world.

[jfiling]

i would hardly consider an infomercial product-pusher like billy mays even in the same league as michael jackson, farrah fawcett & ed mcmahon. they were true superstar celebrity icons. mays was just a guy with an obviously dyed beard and a bombastic voice. big whoop. would it be any more different than say if the guy who sings those catchy "free credit report dot com" commercials was to suddenly die??? yes its sad for the mays family, but to consider him # 4 of this group or the start of a new group of 3, i beg to differ.

I actually put him above those people... I'm not a fan of music, sidekicks, or boobs. I like to be sold!!!

I think there's a good point in that post. Billy made you want to buy something. What makes him less than a singer that makes you buy records, or an actor who makes you buy DVDs of their show?

Here's the difference: Billy Mays wasn't trading on good looks, or the singing voice he was born with/had beaten into him. Billy had a gift for selling. Best case I can ever think of for truly achieving the American dream.

[Mr. MacPhisto]

Here's the difference: Billy Mays wasn't trading on good looks, or the singing voice he was born with/had beaten into him. Billy had a gift for selling. Best case I can ever think of for truly achieving the American dream.

And he helped others achieve it to by pitching their products. Getting him on board for your product was huge because he could sell it.

[Orenthal]

I actually put him above those people... I'm not a fan of music, sidekicks, or boobs. I like to be sold!!!

How can anyone not like boobs?

Well, of course I like them, but this is freaking Billy Mays we are talking about. I shoulda added the smiley!!!

[peeker643]

Fred Travalena died yesterday as well. The big hits just keep coming.

[leadpipe]

Fred Travalena died yesterday as well. The big hits just keep coming.

Any chance the impressionist extrordinaire was just doing a Michael Jackson impersonation?

So long Mr. Everybody.

[Triple-S]

Damn I would have paid to see the fight between him and Vince.

That would have made the :Rumble in the Jungle: look like a drunken game of Mortal Kombat between friends.

[StewieG]

Lol, Billy Mays sounds like a Pro Wrestler doing one of his promos there near the beginning.

[jfiling]

Billy was one hell of a party animal, apparently.

http://www.tmz.com/2009/08/07/autopsy-c ... ays-death/

[Bayou Tribe]

UPDATE: Official documents show the following drugs were in Mays' system -- hydrocodone (Vicodin), oxycodone (painkiller), alprazolam (Xanax), nordiazepam (Valium), benzoylecgonine (byproduct of cocaine) and temazepam (anti-anxiety). Ethanol -- alcohol -- was also in Mays' system.

daaaayum.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

UPDATE: Official documents show the following drugs were in Mays' system -- hydrocodone (Vicodin), oxycodone (painkiller), alprazolam (Xanax), nordiazepam (Valium), benzoylecgonine (byproduct of cocaine) and temazepam (anti-anxiety). Ethanol -- alcohol -- was also in Mays' system.

daaaayum.

It doesn't mean he took those all at once, most meds stay in the system for a couple weeks. Xanax and Temazepam should never be mixed, as both are anti anxiety meds. Mixing Vicodin and Percocet (Oxycodone) can be fatal since they both contain Acetaminophen, combine those with alcohol and you're asking for a trip to the ER. Regardless, that's ALOT of drugs for a person to have in their system.

[metalhead9x9]

UPDATE: Official documents show the following drugs were in Mays' system -- hydrocodone (Vicodin), oxycodone (painkiller), alprazolam (Xanax), nordiazepam (Valium), benzoylecgonine (byproduct of cocaine) and temazepam (anti-anxiety). Ethanol -- alcohol -- was also in Mays' system.

daaaayum.

Guy had a regular Rush Limbaugh library of drugs.

[Mr. MacPhisto]

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafe ... 025765.ece

[skatingtripods]

At least he wasn't snorting Oxi-Clean by mistake.

[jb]

Billy was one hell of a party animal, apparently.

http://www.tmz.com/2009/08/07/autopsy-c ... ays-death/

No wonder his commercials always looked like he was coked up.