TV pitchman Billy Mays
dies in Tampa

TAMPA - Billy Mays, the iconic TV pitchman famous for his boisterous informercials, was found dead Sunday morning in his Tampa home, police say.

Mays' wife found him unresponsive before 7:45 a.m. Paramedics from Tampa Fire Rescue pronounced Mays dead when they arrived.

There were no signs of forced entry and no foul play is suspected. The autopsy should be complete by Monday afternoon.

Mays, 50, became known for his energetic delivery in informericals hawking no less than 25 different products, from cleaners to putty to insurance plans.

The famously-bearded Mays got his first national exposure back in 1996 on the St. Petersburg-based Home Shopping Network. His later success with 30-minute infomercials eventually let him form his own promotions company.

FOX 13 talked to Mays back in March, just before the premiere of a Discovery Channel series featuring him.

"Whatever product I'm selling, it's like putting on Superman's cape," he said at the time. "I become Billy Mays, the ultimate pitchman. And that's who I am. And I'm proud to be that."

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Mays was on a plane that blew a tire upon landing at Tampa International Airport on Saturday. He told FOX 13 that he suffered a bump on the head during the rough landing.

"But I got a hard head," he joked afterwards.

There was no immediate word of a memorial service for Mays. His wife Deborah asked for privacy in a statement issued through police.

"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," she said.