Billy Mays Found Dead

Billy Mays, best known for his infomercials for products like OxiClean and Orange Glo, was found dead at his Tampa home earlier this morning.

The Associated Press is reporting his wife, Deborah Mays, found him unresponsive at their home at 7:45 a.m. Sunday morning.  TheTampa police said there were no signs of a break in or foul play.

Mays had just returned home from Philadelphia where he was shotting a new OxiClean commercial.

He was a passenger on the plane that suffered a hard landing from a blown front tire and he  had told a local TV station:

“All of a sudden as we hit you know it was just the hardest hit, all the things from the ceiling started dropping. It hit me on the head, but I got a hard head.”

TMZ is reporting Mays was at his home around 6:00 PM last night, and according to their source he was “acting fine and normal … he was talking business with his father-in-law.”

An autopsy is expected to be complete by tomorrow afternoon.

Billy’s wife released this statement:

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

He is also featured on the Discovery Channel’s reality TV show ”Pitchmen” which follows pitch people in their jobs.  Discovery Channel spokeswoman Elizabeth Hillman released a statement today saying:

“It is with incredible sadness that we have to report that Billy Mays died in his sleep last night.  Everyone that knows him 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. Our deepest sympathies go out to his family at this time of incredible loss.”

Our hearts go out to his family and friends during this difficult time.