Billy Mays, Dead at 50!//

TV pitchman Billy Mays was found dead this morning in his Tampa Bay home. The unmistakable Mays, whose signature high decibel delivery was a staple for dozens of quirky TV commercial wares and gadgets, was 50.//

More Info from Tampa Bay Online:

TAMPA - Internationally known TV product pitchman Billy Mays was found dead in his South Tampa home this morning.

Wife Deborah woke up and found Mays, 50, in bed and not breathing, according to Tampa police spokeswoman Laura McElroy. He was dead when Tampa Fire Rescue arrived at Mays' house at 2853 Bowen Daniel Drive. Emergency workers pronounced him dead at 7:45 a.m.

Mays had no obvious injuries, and there were no signs of forced entry at the home that overlooks Old Tampa Bay, No foul play is suspected, police said.

Family members told police Mays hadn't been feeling well Saturday and that he went to bed early, shortly after 10 p.m., McElroy said.

Hours before, Mays was on board a US Airways flight from Philadelphia that landed safely at Tampa International Airport Saturday afternoon after its front tires blew out, resulting in bumps and bruises to some passengers.

Mays told WTVT, Channel 13, that he got hit in the head during the rough landing.

"All of a sudden as we hit, you know, it was just the hardest hit; all the things from the ceiling started dropping," he said. "It hit me on the head, but I got a hard head."

Mays, who is active on the Twitter social networking site, posted his last update at 2:01 p.m.

"Just had a close call landing In Tampa," Mays wrote. "The tires blew out upon landing. Stuck in the plane on the runway. You can always count on US Air."

Any connection between Mays' death and the rough landing would be speculation, McElroy said. More will be known after Mays' autopsy, which could be performed as early as Monday, she said. If a toxicology examination is needed, those results could take another four to six weeks.

Mays' family has remained largely silent since his death.

"As you can imagine, the family is devastated," McElroy said.

His wife released a statement through Tampa police after asking them to handle all public statements.

"Although Billy lived a public life, we don't anticipate making any public statements over the next couple of days," she said. "Our family asks that you respect our privacy during these difficult times."

In a previous Twitter post, Mays said he was preparing for his third hip replacement in Tampa Monday. His family said he was in good health otherwise, according to police.

Billy Mays' energy and distinctive looks, with his ever-present grin framed by black hair and a beard, created a household image that Forbes magazine said accounted for more than $1 billion in combined sales with producer and partner Anthony Sullivan.

Mays' and Sullivan's most recent venture was the Discovery channel realty series "Pitchmen," which launched in April.

Mays was regarded as the "king of infomercials" and widely acknowledged as the most successful direct-response TV salesman in history.

Mays was a native of McKees Rocks, Pa. He began his sales career after graduating from high school in 1977 by hawking a portable washing device along the boardwalk in Atlantic City.

His prominence grew through promoting OxiClean, Orange Glo, Kaboom and other household products such as the Mighty Putty glue.

In April, Mays and Sullivan, an Englishman who relocated to Tampa Bay and appeared on the Home Shopping Network, launched a new reality series, "Pitchmen," on the Discovery Channel.

The program showed viewers new gadgets such as the Impact Gel shoe insert; the Tool Band-it, a magnetized armband that holds tools while you work; and the Soft Buns portable seat cushion.

Mays' energy as a pitchman on the TV ads carried over from his energy that propelled his business career.
WTH????!!!!//

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This is crazy. This is absolutely crazy. How does someone like Billy Mays just die like that? Ed McMahon was old, Farrah Fawcett had cancer, and we've been expecting MJ's death for a good three years (what with all the reports, may his soul rest in peace). But BILLY FREAKING MAYS?

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Sad, sad day.

From Billy Mays son

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I heard he was hit on the head in an airplane and he didn't get the injury checked out.

That's what overconfidence does to you...

And isn't it weird how both he and Michael Jackson were both dead at 50 years old?

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I know, and I was just about to say that too!

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Yeah, in the same week too.

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More like 3 days apart...

Four celebrity deaths (two on the same day) in one week...wow...

wut

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Oh gosh...
And there was a Billy Mays team. <_<
Rest in peace...

Something must be in the air for all of these stars to be passing away. This is way too crazy.

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isn't this a sarcasm for Michael Jackson's dead?

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Yeah I don't know.... I wasn't really affected by Jackson's death... he was a pedophile and his death is really his own fault. He's had addictions to pain killers, etc.

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Oh wait.. is true

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Billy Mays? What the hell is going on?!

Yeah this is really terrible... if only he had gotten that head bump checked out, he probably would've been told to get surgery or something and would've been fine.

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With the way things are going on, I wouldn't be too surprised if that were the case.

Enjoy your sleep Billy Mays. I'll be missing your enthusiasm the most.

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Yeah he was great.

God I hate that ShamWow guy, he's so annoying.

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This is more devastating than MJ

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YOU'RE GONNA LOVE MY NUTS!