Famous Pitchman Billy Mays Dead.

Famous Pitchman Billy Mays Dead.

Billy Mays was found dead today in his home in Tampa, Florida early this morning. Neighbors in the South Tampa neighborhood that TV pitch man Billy Mays lives in are reporting to the BRN that as of 8am eastern time Billy Mays died. No foul play has been reported.

Billy Mays the burly bearded television pitchman known for his boisterous hawking of products such as Orange Glo and OxiClean. Billy Mays was 50 when he died.

Tampa police said Mays was found unresponsive by his wife Sunday morning. A fire rescue crew pronounced him dead at 7:45 a.m.

There were no signs of a break-in, and investigators do not suspect foul play, said Lt. Brian Dugan of the Tampa Police Department, who wouldn’t answer any more questions about how Mays’ body was found because of the ongoing investigation. The coroner’s office expects to have an autopsy done by Monday afternoon.

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

Tampa area media outlets reported that Mays was a passenger on a U.S. Airways flight that made a rough landing on Saturday afternoon at Tampa International Airport, apparently blowing its front tires in an incident that left debris on the runway.

Tampa Bay’s Fox television affiliate interviewed Mays after the incident.

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

Billy’s wife Deborah just released the following 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.”

Discovery Channel spokeswoman Elizabeth Hillman released a statement Sunday that reads, “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 andcompassionate friend.”

U.S. Airways officials said Sunday they could not immediately confirm that Mays was a passenger.