McKees Rocks native Mays found dead

CNN reports that OxiClean (and other products) pitchman Billy Mays was found dead in his Tampa, Florida home Sunday morning. He was 50. The cause of death is unknown at this time. Mays was on board a USAirways jet from Philadelphia to Tampa on Saturday. The plane had a rough landing in Tampa after its front tires blew out upon landing. Mays reportedly told a Tampa TV station that as a result of the tire blowout, the landing was rough and things began falling from overhead. “…all the things from the ceiling started dropping,” he said, “It hit me on the head, but I got a hard head.” An autopsy will be performed by the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner.

Meanwhile, Mays’ wife Deborah released a statement saying, “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.”

Mays was born in McKees Rocks in 1958 and developed his pitchman style on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. He became the pitchman for Orange Glo International after meeting its founder, Max Appel, at the Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show in the mid-1990s.