One of the great pitchmen in infomercials has died. Billy Mays was found in his Florida home today.
Mays had recently been featured on the Discovery Channel's "Pitchmen" TV show. It followed the exploits of Mays and fellow pitchman Anthony Sullivan, while they worked in their marketing jobs.
Discovery Channel spokesperson Elizabeth Hillman said everyone who knew Mays "was aware of his larger-than-life personality, generosity and warmth."
"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," Hillman said in a statement.
According to a biography posted on the "Pitchmen" website, Mays got his start "hawking products on the Atlantic City boardwalk," while he developed his presentation panache.
A few years later, Mays had a "fateful" meeting with the inventor of the Orange Glo, OxiClean and Kaboom!, cleaning products, all of which he would later have a hand in selling on TV.
In 1996, that inventor then invited Mays to pitch Orange Glo on the Home Shopping Network.
From there, Mays made the leap to infomercials and commercials on TV.
According to his biography, Mays "can be seen on TV with over 10 different products at any given time."
Here is what I think is some of his finest work -- the Mighty Putty commercial:
And as an added bonus, here's the Oxi Clean commercial.
One final thing -- Please, God: Don't let anything happen to Vince Shlomi.
Addendum
Mr. Mays apparently died in his sleep of a heart attack.
More from the June 29 AP story on CTV.ca:
Born William Mays in McKees Rocks, Pa., on July 20, 1958, Mays developed his style demonstrating knives, mops and other "As Seen on TV" gadgets on Atlantic City's boardwalk. For years he worked as a hired gun on the state fair and home show circuits, attracting crowds with his booming voice and genial manner.
After meeting Orange Glo International founder Max Appel at a home show in Pittsburgh in the mid-1990s, Mays was recruited to demonstrate the environmentally friendly line of cleaning products on the St. Petersburg-based Home Shopping Network, now known as HSN.
Commercials and informercials followed, anchored by the high-energy Mays using them while tossing out kitschy phrases like, "Long live your laundry!"
HSN released a statement Monday morning, praising Mays as a "legend in the
electronic retail history whose personality, entrepreneurial spirit and
thoughtfulness for others have always been larger than life."
Oddly, I've always had a sneaking admiration for good pitchmen. Please see this earlier post on the Ginsu knife guys at the PNE a long time ago to see what I mean.