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Billy Mays, Jr., the most famous direct response pitchman will always be remembered for pitching products like Oxi Clean, Orange Glo, and the Jupiter Jack. Billy Mays possessed a unique personality. Coupled with his trademark blue shirt and beard endeared him to working class Americans.

Mays was born in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, on July 20, 1958. He would go on to attend Sto-Rox High School, while living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He dropped out of West Virginia University. Billy Mays began working with his father’s hazardous waste company. He then moved to Atlantic City in 1983.

Atlantic City began Billy Mays down the career that would make him famous…pitchman. He started pitching products to anyone that passed by. Early on, Billy Mays pitched a variety of cleaning products including Washamatik a portable cleaning device. He would move on to pitch “As Seen On TV” products.

Billy Mays learned from the best. Billy learned to sell from some of Atlantic City’s greatest pitchmen. Once again, he was destined to make a change. Billy Mays took his pitches on the road. He would spend the next 12 years traveling across the country. He would sell products at automobile shows, home shows, and state fairs.

1993 would open the next chapter of Billy Mays’s career. He was attending a home show in Pittsburgh when he met Max Appel. Max Appel was a rival pitchman who had founded Orange Glo International. Appel would hire Billy Mays to promote the company’s products. This brought Billy Mays and products such as OxiClean, Orange Glo, and Kaboom on the Home Shopping Network.

Mays Promotions, Inc. introduced Billy Mays to the world of entrepeneurship. He founded Mays Promotions, Inc. out of his Odessa, Florida home. Billy Mays served as the company’s CEO. He achieved success by becoming known as the world’s greatest pitchman. Companies would pay top dollar to have him pitch their products. Inventors would pitch their inventions to him, hoping that Billy Mays would turn them into millionaires.

Billy Mays was destined to become a TV superstar. With business partner Anthony Sullivan, he entered into a contract with Discovery Channel to produce “Pitchmen”. Pitchmen is a documentary that provides a behind the scenes look at infomercials. From reviewing new inventions to choosing the best one and filming an infomercial.

June 28, 2009 is a day that will live in infamy. Billy Mays’s wife found him unresponsive. At 7:45 a.m., he was pronounced dead. It is thought, he passed away during the night. News reports stated that early indications pointed to heart attack.

Rumors were put to rest by Dr. Vernard Adams. Dr. Adams performed Billy Mays’s autopsy. His findings indicated Mays was killed by hypertensive heart disease. The world’s greatest pitchman had been beaten by a heart attack.

Billy Mays was a pitchman to the end. At his funeral in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, Billy Mays was buried in a shirt bearing the OxiClean logo. His career was seen throughout the service. Pallbearers wore khaki pants and blue shirts, just as Billy had during his commercials.