Billy Mays, who was known the world over as one of the top pitchmen for television commercials, has finally been given a cause of death. He was found in his condo by his wife in Tampa, Florida dead. In the time following this tragic news, the cause of his death was cause for widespread speculation. Reasons for his death was everything from a bump on the head during a flight the night before, to heart disease.
Initial reports from the autopsy revealed no drug usage, but toxicology reports found cocaine in his system. Billy Mays also suffered from heart disease and it is believed that cocaine usage from several days earlier caused the ultimate death of the commercial Icon. Cocaine can have drastic effects on heart disease, as it works heavily on the bodily systems.
While the pitchman was known the world over, there is relatively little known about the man’s life outside the commercials. Drugs were the last thing that many expected as a cause of death. The news certainly is shocking to the world at large.
Cocaine has claimed many lives over the years, and yet people still attempt to use it. Particularly the rich crowd in and around Hollywood. It would seem that people would avoid it, especially if they suffer from heart disease. Unfortunately, cocaine is also a highly addictive drug. Simply not wanting to take it is not enough for most people. They often need professional help and detoxification to come off the powerful drug.
The medical examiner originally stated that Mays likely died of a heart attack in their initial review. Though heart disease is still considered to be the primary cause of death, it is suspected that the cocaine use made the heart disease worse. This is why cocaine is considered to be a contributing factor to his untimely death.
Billy Mays was only 50 years old. He was born in McKees Rocks, PA, and rose to fame doing commercials and television spots for products such as Oxi-clean and many others. Mays was famous for his high energy, high impact delivery, and he was the host of the hit television show Pitchmen.
While Mays was taken away from us prematurely, his legacy will live on both in his commercials and his Iconic memory. He is sure to be considered one of the faces of our generation. Billy Mays was certainly one of a kind.
