William Darrell "Billy" Mays, Jr. (July 20, 1958 – June 28, 2009) was an American 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 made him a recognized television presence in the United States and Canada.
Mays was born in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, and began his career as salesman on the Atlantic City boardwalk. He traveled across the United States for 12 years, selling various items before he was hired to sell OxiClean and other products on the Home Shopping Network. His success as a TV pitchman led him to found Mays Promotions, Inc. On April 15, 2009, the Discovery Channel began airing PitchMen, a documentary series that featured Mays. On the morning of June 28, 2009, Mays' wife found him dead in his home.
Cocaine linked to Billy Mays death
Last Updated: Friday, August 7, 2009 | 5:06 PM ET
CBC News
TV pitchman Billy Mays poses with some of his cleaning products in December 2002. He died on June 28.
Cocaine played a role in the death of television pitchman Billy Mays, a Florida autopsy report says.
An earlier autopsy showed that Mays, 50, died of a heart attack in his sleep on June 28. His wife had found him unresponsive at their condo in Tampa.
A release Friday from the Hillsborough County medical examiner's office said Mays had used cocaine in the days before his death.
The report said that although Mays died from heart disease, cocaine use was a contributing cause of death.
Mays became a U.S. pop-culture icon with his boisterous hawking of products such as Orange Glo and OxiClean.
With files from The Associated Press
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