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.

If there was a hall of fame for pitchmen, Billy Mays would be its founder. Billy Mays possessed the rare ability to endear himself to you and sell you almost any product within two minutes. His pitches sold millions of units of such items as Orange Glo, Jupiter Jack, and Oxi Clean. Billy Mays’s beard and blue shirt became a symbol to every working man that success was not out of reach.

Billy Mays Jr. began his journey on July 20, 1958. He was born in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania. His high school years were spent at Sto-Rox High School. Billy May attended college at West Virginia University. He was not destined to be a college graduate. Billy Mays dropped out to work for his father. His father owned a hazardous waste company. In 1983, Billy moved to Atlantic City, New Jersey to start the next chapter of his life.

Billy Mays’s move to Atlantic City introduced him to his future career…pitchman. Billy started pitching products such as Washamatik. Washmatik is a portable cleaning device. He “pitched” to anyone who would listen or could be drawn into listening. Soon, the world would realize that Billy Mays had found his calling.

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.

Billy Mays soon achieved the rank of entrepeneur. Mays Promotions, Inc. was founded by Billy Mays. He served as the company’s Chief Operating Officer (CEO). His Odessa, Florida home was the company’s first headquarters. Success would not elude him. Companies and inventors fought over the chance to have their products sold by the world’s greatest pitchman.

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.

Billy Mays’s wife found him unresponsive on June 28, 2009. Initially, it was thought that he may have suffered a head injury. The day before, he had been on a very turbulent flight. The overhead bin had opened and items fell onto him. Later announcements would state that Billy Mays had died of a massive 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.

July 3, 2009, Billy Mays was laid to rest in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania. In honor of him, pallbearers wore the same khaki pants and blue shirts that were Billy’s trademark. He was even buried in a shire with the OxiClean logo.

William Darrell “Billy” Mays, Jr., the most famous television advertisement pitchman, will be remembered for pitching Oxi Clean, Orange Glo, and numerous other cleaning, and maintenance products. His distinctive beard and unique persona produced one of the most recognized television presences in the United States.

On July 20, 1958, Billy Mays Jr. was born in McKees Rocks Pennsylvania. He graduated from Sto-Rox High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Billy Mays joined the movement to become a college graduate; however, he soon dropped out of West Virginia University. After college, he found employment with his dad’s hazardous waste company. Billy Mays would leave hazardous waste and move to Atlantic City in 1983.

Billy Mays’s move to Atlantic City introduced him to his future career…pitchman. Billy started pitching products such as Washamatik. Washmatik is a portable cleaning device. He “pitched” to anyone who would listen or could be drawn into listening. Soon, the world would realize that Billy Mays had found his calling.

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.

Billy Mays met Max Appel in 1993. Max Appel had founded Orange Glo International. Appel and Billy were rival pitchmen. Even though he was a pitchman, Appel realized that Billy Mays could make him money. He hired Billy to promote his company’s cleaning products. Through the Home Shopping Network, Billy would turn such products as Kaboom, Orange Glo, and OxiClean into household names.

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.

In 2009, Billy Mays became a TV superstar. Discovery Channel began airing “Pitchmen”. Pitchmen took viewers behind the scenes of TV infomercials. Viewers were able to watch inventors pitch their products to Billy Mays and his partner Anthony Sullivan. See which products they picked up and see how an infomercial is produced.

No one gets out of life alive. Billy Mays expiration came on June 28, 2009. His wife found him unresponsive in bed. Early reports seemed to indicate a head injury from a very turbulent flight. Overhead bins had opened and released various items onto Billy Mays’s head. Autopsy would not find any head trauma. It would indicate Mays had died of a massive 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 memorialized and buried in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania on July 3, 2009. Each pallbearer wore Billy’s trademark blue shirts and khaki pants. KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh reported that Billy Mays was buried in an OxiClean shirt.

William Darrell “Billy” Mays, Jr., the most famous television advertisement pitchman, will be remembered for pitching Oxi Clean, Orange Glo, and numerous other cleaning, and maintenance products. His distinctive beard and unique persona produced one of the most recognized television presences in the United States.

Billy Mays Jr. began his journey on July 20, 1958. He was born in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania. His high school years were spent at Sto-Rox High School. Billy May attended college at West Virginia University. He was not destined to be a college graduate. Billy Mays dropped out to work for his father. His father owned a hazardous waste company. In 1983, Billy moved to Atlantic City, New Jersey to start the next chapter of his life.

In Atlantic City, Billy Mays made his living on the world famous boardwalk. He became a boardwalk pitchman. He made a living pitching a variety of products to anyone who walked by. One of Billy Mays’s early pitches was for a portable washing machine device called Washamatik.

Atlantic City’s pitchmen built the Billy Mays we know and love. These pitchmen taught Billy how to draw in a crowd and develop a pitch that would “seal the deal”. Billy Mays soaked up their suggestions like a sponge. When he was ready, he took his show on the road. Criss-crossing America selling various products at auto shows, home expos, and fairs.

In 1993, Bill Mays became friends with Max Appel. Max Appel was another pitchman with whom Billy had cultivated a rivalry. Appel had moved from pitchman to entrepeneur by founding Orange Glo International. Max Appel realized the greatness that was Billy Mays. He hired Billy to pitch his line of cleaners on the Home Shopping Network. Billy moved to St Petersburg, Florida to pitch products such as OxiClean, Orange Glo, and Kaboom.

Billy Mays realized that he wanted to be his own boss. He founded Mays Promotions, Inc. and served as its CEO. Initially, Mays Promotions, Inc. was run out of his Odessa, Florida home. He soon achieved fame as one of the greatest pitchmen alive. Inventors and companies chased after Billy Mays to promote their products.

Billy Mays and Anthony Sullivan increased their own personal brands by filming “Pitchmen”. Pitchmen is a Discovery Channel reality show that allows viewers a behind the scenes look at infomercials. Viewers follow Billy and “Sully” through pitch sessions where they review new inventions, watch as they chose products to sell, and filmed the 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.

Billy Mays’s autopsy was performed by Dr. Vernard Adams. Dr. Adams is the coroner for Hillsborough County, Florida. His autopsy found that Mays was brought down by hypertensive heart disease. A heart attack had ended the world’s greatest pitchman.

Billy Mays was memorialized and buried in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania on July 3, 2009. Each pallbearer wore Billy’s trademark blue shirts and khaki pants. KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh reported that Billy Mays was buried in an OxiClean shirt.