Billy Mays

Mays was born on July 20, 1958, in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, and raised in nearby Pittsburgh.[2][6] He was a student at Sto-Rox High School,[2][6] and later West Virginia University, where he was a walk-on linebacker on its football team during his two years there.[7]

Mays' first marriage was to Dolores "Dee Dee" Mays, which ended in divorce.[17] He had a son with Dolores named Billy Mays III, who was 22 years old at the time of Mays' death and who worked as a production assistant alongside his father on the PitchMen television show.[18] Mays had a daughter, Elizabeth, with his second wife, Deborah Mays. His daughter was three years old at the time of his death.[17][19][20] Mays' mother is Joyce Palm,[18] and his father is Billy Mays Sr.; he was survived by both.

In an interview during the 2008 presidential campaign, Mays revealed himself to be a Republican.[21]

Wikinews has related news: American pitchman Billy Mays dies at age 50

Mays was found unresponsive by his wife in his Tampa, Florida home on the morning of June 28, 2009.[22] He was pronounced dead at 7:45 am, appearing to have died sometime overnight.[3][23] The Associated Press reported that there were no indications that the house had been broken into, and that police did not suspect foul play.[23] Initially, there was incorrect speculation that he had died of a head injury, after he was struck on the head by luggage after an airline landing mishap where tires blew out.[24]

After an initial autopsy on Mays' body 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."[25][26] 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".[27]

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 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.[28]

According to subsequent news reports,[29] 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 for 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.[30] He is buried in Mount Calvary Cemetery.[31]

In the immediate aftermath of his death, many companies pulled ads featuring Mays from the air.[32] By mid-July, with his family's consent, some ads were put back into rotation,[33] alongside newer ones that Mays had filmed prior to his death.[33][32]

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.[34]

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.[35]

• Billy Mays on IMDb
• Billy Mays on Twitter