over the years to develop as the supreme
voice of the infomercial industry. It is his
persona against which all pitchmen will be
measured now and in the future,” McAlister
said in a statement. “Billy’s ability to get
people excited about a product was merely
an extension of the engaging, likeable and
earnest person he was off the set.”
Tim Hawthorne, founder and executive
creative director of Fairfield, Iowa-based
Hawthorne Direct also had many an opportunity to work with Mays. “Our industry
has suffered a devastating loss with Billy’s
passing,” Hawthorne tells Response. “The
smiling, bearded, blue-shirt, khaki-slacks
ambassador of DRTV, he was kind, patient,
open and genuinely focused on his clients’
success. We’ll miss his ever-present, ‘Billy
Mays here for …’ Billy Mays was here for all
of us, and we’ll miss him dearly.”
said Discovery spokeswoman Elizabeth Hill-
man in a statement released on June 28.
The show highlighted product inven-
tors bringing their ideas in front of expert
DRTV pitchmen and producers Mays and
Sullivan. Not only did the show track the
progress of two new products weekly as they
made their way toward a final DRTV cam-
paign, but it also allowed viewers a peek at
the inner workings of the DRTV business.
Recent buzz in the DRTV business was
that “Pitchmen” was set to return for a
second season on Discovery. Mays and Sullivan even took a few of the products made
famous on the first season of “Pitchmen” on
an amusing appearance on NBC’s “The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien” less than
a week before Mays’ death.
“There are no words to describe how I
feel about the passing of my great friend and Anthony Sullivan, TELEBrands A.J. Khubani and Billy Mays are all smiles at the April premiere party for Discovery Channel’s “Pitchmen.” The show’s 13-episode first season closed on July 1, just
three days after Mays’ death.
Mays’ ever-growing influence on marketing and popular culture seemed to be
peaking in the past year, as he began pitching more traditional products, including a
highly successful ad for ESPN360.com, the
sports programming giant’s popular Web
site. At the same time, he and fellow DRTV
pitching legend Anthony Sullivan were
tabbed as the stars of the Discovery Network’s newest reality show, “Pitchmen,” for
a 13-show run that wrapped on July 1.
“Billy was a pioneer in his field and
helped many people fulfill their dreams,”
fellow pitchman, Billy Mays,” said Sullivan,
in a statement on June 29. “I have a massive
hole in my heart. Billy and I have known
each other for 15 years. We are the greatest
of friends. He was the best at what he did
… his uniqueness created an industry that I
am proud to be a part of. Discovery Channel’s ‘Pitchmen’ was not only a wonderful
experience, but also a great opportunity for
Billy and I to let people into our world and
see what an awesome guy he was in front of
the cameras and show our friendship to the
world.”
