We at InventHelp remember Billy Mays as a passionate pitchman with a booming personality and voice to match. Always donning his trademark blue shirt as the face of products like OxiClean and Orange Glo, Billy’s “everyman” appeal drove consumers to buy millions of the products he pitched.

Sadly, Billy passed away this Sunday at his Tampa home. Autopsy reports showed that Billy suffered from heart disease. His sudden and untimely death at only age 50 shocked those of us who were lucky enough to meet Billy and experience his larger-than-life personality.

Born just minutes from InventHelp’s headquarters, Billy Mays grew up in McKees Rocks, Pa. He developed his unique pitching style on the boardwalk in Atlantic City before moving on to home show circuits, where crowds were drawn to Billy’s infectious spirit and genial manner. In the mid-1990s, Billy met Orange Glo International founder Max Appel at a home show in Pittsburgh and soon found himself hawking the environmentally friendly line on the Home Shopping Network.

InventHelp’s Invention Girl recalls seeing Billy Mays pitch OxiClean and I instantly liked his jovial style and “thumbs-up” exuberance. Recently, I religiously watched his Discovery Channel show Pitchmen on Wednesday nights. Billy’s natural charisma was on full display in the show, and it was clear that he genuinely wanted to make people’s dreams come true. “I enjoy what I do,” he told The Associated Press in a 2002 interview. “I think it shows.”

InventHelp and Invention Girl extend our deepest sympathies to the Mays family and Billy’s friends and colleagues. With Billy’s tragic passing, the invention community lost a great advocate and his one-of-a-kind style will be missed by all.

Related InventHelp posts:

1. InventHelp and INPEX Bid Farewell to TV Pitchman Billy Mays
2. Check Out Pittsburgher Billy Mays on The Discovery Channel
3. InventHelp’s Invention & New Product Exposition Is Almost Here!
4. Pitch Your Idea at the InventHelp-INPEX New Product Showcase