Billy Mays 1958-2009

Talk about being hit in the gut. I received a simple text message from my friend today. "Billy Mays is dead."

I couldn't believe it. Although I was on my way out the door, I had to run up to the computer and sure enough, Billy Mays, probably the world's greatest pitchman was dead.

You may be laughing at this point. Who cares you might say. Normally, I would be right there with you, but this was Billy Mays.

For those of you who don't know, Billy Mays is a product of the "Rocks." McKees Rocks that is. Billy got his start pitching products in Atlantic City. His big break came when he lent a fellow pitchman a microphone at the Pittsburgh David L Lawrence Convention Center. That pitchman was the President of Orange Glow and he remembered the kindness and several months later gave Billy his first real "national" pitch. Billy took off and the rest as we say is history.

I LOVED watching Billy's commercials. He never endorsed a product until he tried it out and it worked. He was a hired gun for sure, but the product had better work because it was HIS reputation on the line.

He made blue oxford shirts fashionable.

But wait, there's more!

Billy and Anthony Sullivan were in their first year of a show on The Learning Channel (TLC) called PITCHMEN. The show featured everyday people who have "invented" products that solve everyday problems. The best ones would then be pitched by either Billy, "Sully" or both. They also showed behind the scenes at "Sullivan Productions" and commercial shoots featuring the two pitchmen. From what I have read and from what I have been told, the show was doing really well and TLC was delighted they had a hit on their hand.

But I'm still not done.

Hundreds maybe even thousands are making makeshift memorials to Wacko Jacko. There is almost wall to wall coverage of his death, his autopsy, his second autopsy, where he will be buried, how many tributes they will hold, etc, etc, etc. I have not seen any such tributes for Billy Mays. But, consider this:

Consider what Billy Mays' death does to the economy. On an average day, commercials featuring Billy Mays runs on hundred of television stations and cable networks each and everyday. Some estimates conservatively put the amount spent on Billy Mays commercials for one day in the neighborhood of 20-40 million dollars! The minute it was confirmed that Billy Mays had died, all those commercials were pulled and those outlets lost all that money. If the commercials were placed for two weeks or more, you do the math, a lot of money is being lost by television stations and cable networks. It may be weeks, maybe even months before a new pitchman (or commercials with no actual pitchman) is found and new commercials are made. That's a big hit on the economy. Billy Mays was the next best thing to having a money printing machine.

Since you read this before midnight tonight, I'm throwing in this.

On Saturday June 27th, Billy was on a flight from Philadelphia to Tampa. When the plane landed in Tampa, the front tires blew out and the plane was "jostled" around. Luggage came out from the overhead bins and fell all over the aircraft. Billy was hit in the head by one of these objects. True to form when asked about it, Billy shrugged it off and said "Hey I have a hard head."

Billy Mays will be missed, he was one of a kind. Billy was genuine and like able. A local guy from the "Rocks" who made it big. He was simply the best pitchman ever.

UPDATE MONDAY JUNE 29th..........

The Medical Examiner in Tampa has given a preliminary autopsy report on the death of Billy Mays. They are reporting that it may have been a "natural" death. Harding of the arteries and high cholesterol may have been the cause. We won't know for sure for 4-6 weeks after all the toxicology test are completed, but for now it looks like Billy went out suddenly and peacefully in his sleep.