Billy Mays — and his booming voice — was a fixture on television screens in the early 2000s, selling products like OxiClean and Kaboom. But his career as a pitchman was tragically cut short when he died of a heart attack at the age of 50.
The Pittsburgh native, who died 16 years ago on June 28, 2009, got his start shilling goods to people on the Atlantic City boardwalk. It was there that he refined his skills as a salesman, adjusting his voice and developing what would become his signature style of high-energy, loud-volume pitches.
“People are walking by half drunk, broke from losing their money in the casino, and you’re trying to sell them something they don’t want,” Mays told PEOPLE in 2009. “It was the best training ground in the world.”
Mays eventually caught his big break in 2000, when he appeared in a television commercial for the stain remover OxiClean. From then on, Mays became an infomercial star — promoting everything from home improvement products, like Mighty Putty and Orange Glo, to insurance with his signature tagline: “Hi, Billy Mays here!”
“He was the hardest working man in television,” his business partner Anthony Sullivan told PEOPLE. “He stood behind every product he sold.”
Mays’ career was as busy as ever when tragedy struck: on the morning of June 28, his wife, Deborah Mays, discovered him unresponsive. The beloved pitchman died in his sleep at just 50 years old.
So what happened to Billy Mays? Here is everything to know about the infomercial legend’s sudden passing.
What was Billy Mays’ cause of death?
After Mays was found unresponsive, an autopsy conducted by the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner listed heart disease as his official cause of death, according to ABC News. Though the initial autopsy found “no indication of drug abuse,” a toxicology report later showed that cocaine was a contributing factor to his death and that he had used the drug a few days prior, ABC reported.
At the time, Mays was also taking two prescription painkillers — Tramadol and hydrocodone — for hip pain, but pill counts showed he was taking the appropriate dosage.
Mays’ family, particularly his wife Deborah, refuted the toxicology findings, calling them “speculative” and “unnecessary” in a statement, per the New York Daily News.
The family ordered their own independent autopsy, and the results contradicted the conclusions drawn by the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner. Dr. William Manion, who conducted the second autopsy, found no signs of chronic cocaine use and declared the drug was not a contributing factor to his death, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
“Although we cannot undo the damage that has already been done to Billy’s reputation, we are hopeful that this information will assist in clearing the name of a good husband, father and friend,” Deborah said in a statement at the time.
Before any autopsy was conducted, however, there was speculation that Mays’ death was the result of head trauma. The day prior, Mays was aboard a U.S. Airways flight to Tampa, Fla., that made a bumpy landing. A falling object reportedly hit Mays on the head during the landing, per the Los Angeles Times.
The autopsies later proved, though, that a head injury did not play a factor in Mays’ untimely death.
When did Billy Mays die?
Mays was pronounced dead by a fire rescue crew at 7:45 a.m. on June 28, 2009, according to NBC News. However, it is presumed that he died sometime during the overnight hours of June 27. Previously that day, Mays had just returned home from shooting a television commercial.
Where did Billy Mays die?
Mays was found unresponsive in bed by his wife, Deborah, in their Tampa home. According to a 911 recording, a distraught woman (presumed to be Deborah) says she woke up next to Mays, who was not awake or breathing, ABC News reported.
“I went to roll him over and his lips are all purple,” the woman said. “And he’s cold.”
How old was Billy Mays when he died?
The television personality was 50 years old at the time of his death.
What were Billy Mays’ last words?
Though Mays’ exact last words are unknown, his wife Deborah told investigators that he had complained of a headache and felt ill before going to bed around 10 p.m. on the night of June 27, 2009, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Mays’ last words spoken on camera were to a local TV station, MyFox Tampa Bay, after his flight made a rough landing at Tampa International Airport.
“All of a sudden as we hit, you know it was just the hardest hit, all the things from the ceiling started dropping,” Mays told the outlet, according to the Los Angeles Times. “It hit me on the head, but I got a hard head.”
What was the public reaction to Billy Mays’ death?
Friends, family and fans were all shocked by Mays’ untimely death.
“I hate to say it, but the king is dead,” Sullivan said in a statement at the time, per the Los Angeles Times. “I’ll always remember his booming voice — him saying, ‘Hi, Billy Mays here!’ He was the best friend a man could wish for. He was much more than people knew.”
But fans were not without Mays’ distinctive voice for long. Just two weeks after his death, infomercials starring Mays began to appear on television again in heavy rotation, The New York Times reported.
New infomercials recorded before his death, for products such as Jupiter Jack and Mighty Putty, also debuted in the weeks after. And while Mays was a successful salesman during his life, he drove even more sales following his death: orders of some products pitched by Mays were up 20 to 30% after he died, The New York Times reported.
Who replaced Billy Mays in informercials?
Though sales were initially boosted after Mays’ death, the opposite effect began to occur the longer his infomercials ran, according to the St. Petersburg Times.
Bill McAlister, the president and co-owner of Media Enterprises, told the outlet that sales of Mighty Putty and Mighty Tape — which were both promoted by Mays — plummeted in the months after his death. As a result, McAlister hired Sullivan, Mays’ collaborator on Pitchmen, to replace him in the ads.
Sullivan also stepped in as the solo star of Pitchmen, the Discovery Channel reality series that previously followed Mays and Sullivan and their lives as infomercial personalities.
“I’m happy the network gave us a shot,” Sullivan told the St. Petersburg Times. “I wanted to do it for Billy, because I think that’s what he would have wanted.”
What was Billy Mays’ legacy?
Even 16 years after his death in 2009, Mays is remembered for his iconic infomercials — and the products he made famous. While visiting his grave in July 2024, Mays’ son, Billy Mays III, found that a fan had left behind a bottle of OxiClean, he shared on Instagram.
Billy and his sister Elizabeth continue to keep the advertising legend’s memory alive. Billy maintains his famous father’s legacy both at home, with his daughter, and online at BillyMays.org, a fan community and tribute space.
“It’s funny because my daughter doesn’t really know … We tell her about her grandpas a lot,” Billy told PEOPLE in October 2024.
Billy not only tells his young daughter about her grandfather, but also keeps memories of his dad throughout the house for her to see.
“We have stuff hanging everywhere, but I don’t even know if she realizes that’s her grandpa yet,” he said. “Eventually, one day, I’m going to show her all the commercials, and that’ll be a lot of fun for her to see.”