TV pitchman Billy Mays found dead at Florida home

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Billy Mays, the burly, bearded television pitchman whose boisterous hawking of products such as Orange Glo and OxiClean made him a pop-culture icon, has died. He was 50.

Tampa police said Mays’ wife found him unresponsive Sunday morning. A fire rescue crew pronounced him dead at 7:45 a.m. It was not immediately clear how he died. He said he was hit on the head when an airplane he was on made a rough landing Saturday, and his wife, Deborah Mays, told investigators he didn’t feel well before he went to bed about 10 p.m. that night.

There were no signs of a break-in at the home, and investigators do not suspect foul play, said Lt. Brian Dugan of the Tampa Police Department, who wouldn’t answer questions about how Mays’ body was found because of the ongoing investigation. The coroner’s office expects to have an autopsy done by Monday afternoon.

“Although Billy lived a public life, we don’t anticipate making any public statements over the next couple of days,” Deborah Mays said in a statement Sunday. “Our family asks that you respect our privacy during these difficult times.”

U.S. Airways confirmed that Mays was among the passengers on a flight that made a rough landing on Saturday afternoon at Tampa International Airport, leaving debris on the runway after apparently blowing its front tires.

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TV pitchman Billy Mays found dead at Florida home

He was loud. He was annoying. I liked him. A lot. He was the ultimate *pitch man*. This guy could sell ice makers to Eskimos.

BUT WAIT! IF YOU CALL IN THE NEXT 10 MINUTES, WE’LL DOUBLE YOUR ORDER. THAT’S RIGHT, 2 BOTTLES OF OXICLEAN. AND I’M NOT DONE YET.

I’M BILLY MAYS, AND I AM PLAYING ON A MUCH BIGGER STAGE NOW!

Rest in Peace Billy!