Wed Jun 30, 2010 8:47 pm
Billy Mays
some of you may be wondering about my fascination with Billy Mays. I know que does, seeing as how he asked and basically told me he was worthless. thanks que! -_-
so here goes my small bio on him.
To start, He was a great man and my personal Hero. he was know by the beard on his face, and his booming voice. "Hi, Billy Mays here!". But thats not all he was. He was generous and he had a huge heart for young pitchmen, who often came to him for help.
Billy got his start at age 15, when he sold Oxi-clean on QVC. he eventually moved up to other things like Orange glow, the samurai shark, and so on. One of his personal beliefs was "if it doesnt work, im not selling it". for the most part, everything did actually work as advertised, if not close to it.
Anyone ever watch the show pitchmen? it was on the discovery channel and it told of the things Billy Mays and his partner, Anthony Sullivan (taking over for Billy *R.I.P*) did for people. They gave new and upcoming pitchmen and inventors a chance in the world, gave them a chance to get out there and get them/their products known.
there was one boy in particular that Billy Mays helped out that really got me to understand who he was. I dont remember the boys' name, but he was trying to be a pitchman, and he had this strange new pump-operated stain remover that sucked the cleaning solution through the fabric/material and pulled the stain with it into the pump. it was a great idea, and it worked exceptionally well, but the boy and his family barely had enough money to live on, much less make a bunch and have the fail. Billy Mays saw that this was a great idea, and he gave this boy some tips and tricks that he learned over the 40 years or so of pitching and he gave him a 10,000 dollar grant on getting his start. 10,000 dollars right there to get this boy started. right out of his pocket! and he said, i will stand behind you on this.
Billy Mays did so much, and was such a great guy. and being a pitchmen raked in the money for him. he drove a bently and had a mansion, but he wasnt conceited in the slightest. he was very giving and donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to various charities and such. not what youd think first thing huh?
As many of you know, Billy Mays died June 28th 2009. I found out 2 days after with a flood ov texts and emails (phone broke, and a new one came in the mail 2 days after his death) and, no lie, no faking, I cried. i cried for about an hour and a half. the realization that i would never meet him was devastating, and the shock was unbearable. the memory of my mom and cousins comforting brings tears into my eyes as i type this. it was a horrible thing to think "Im never going to see him. never shake his hand or hear him say my name". it was crazy to think this strong man who didnt even get a chance to turn 51 was dead. I later found out that it wasnt the bump they first suspected, but that he did cocaine. i felt so horrible knowing he did that. it killed him. cocaine took my only true hero from me, and there was no changing it. His death made me value life a little more, and i still support him to this day. so saying "he was annoying" or "who cares about him, he just yelled and sold sh*t products that no one ever bought".... It hurts to hear.
And to watch all these commercials where they've taken him out, its painful and depressing to see. and whats worse, Anthony sullivan has to do everything now. its so sad to see him pitching oxu=i clean, or orange glow, and all the other things Billy once did. and the pain he must feel EVERY DAY knowing that this, this is how its going to be. because of all the people in the world that knew Billy, Sulley was his BEST FRIEND. and i guess i look up to him, too, for what he's done, who HE was, and how him and Billy were the best two people ive ever know. I feel bad for Sulley. I really do.
so why my fascination? Billy wasnt just a pitchman, or some guy with an amazing beard that sold oxiclean, but he was MY hero, and he will always mean something to me, and everyone who knew him.
*may need a `little' revision*
so here goes my small bio on him.
To start, He was a great man and my personal Hero. he was know by the beard on his face, and his booming voice. "Hi, Billy Mays here!". But thats not all he was. He was generous and he had a huge heart for young pitchmen, who often came to him for help.
Billy got his start at age 15, when he sold Oxi-clean on QVC. he eventually moved up to other things like Orange glow, the samurai shark, and so on. One of his personal beliefs was "if it doesnt work, im not selling it". for the most part, everything did actually work as advertised, if not close to it.
Anyone ever watch the show pitchmen? it was on the discovery channel and it told of the things Billy Mays and his partner, Anthony Sullivan (taking over for Billy *R.I.P*) did for people. They gave new and upcoming pitchmen and inventors a chance in the world, gave them a chance to get out there and get them/their products known.
there was one boy in particular that Billy Mays helped out that really got me to understand who he was. I dont remember the boys' name, but he was trying to be a pitchman, and he had this strange new pump-operated stain remover that sucked the cleaning solution through the fabric/material and pulled the stain with it into the pump. it was a great idea, and it worked exceptionally well, but the boy and his family barely had enough money to live on, much less make a bunch and have the fail. Billy Mays saw that this was a great idea, and he gave this boy some tips and tricks that he learned over the 40 years or so of pitching and he gave him a 10,000 dollar grant on getting his start. 10,000 dollars right there to get this boy started. right out of his pocket! and he said, i will stand behind you on this.
Billy Mays did so much, and was such a great guy. and being a pitchmen raked in the money for him. he drove a bently and had a mansion, but he wasnt conceited in the slightest. he was very giving and donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to various charities and such. not what youd think first thing huh?
As many of you know, Billy Mays died June 28th 2009. I found out 2 days after with a flood ov texts and emails (phone broke, and a new one came in the mail 2 days after his death) and, no lie, no faking, I cried. i cried for about an hour and a half. the realization that i would never meet him was devastating, and the shock was unbearable. the memory of my mom and cousins comforting brings tears into my eyes as i type this. it was a horrible thing to think "Im never going to see him. never shake his hand or hear him say my name". it was crazy to think this strong man who didnt even get a chance to turn 51 was dead. I later found out that it wasnt the bump they first suspected, but that he did cocaine. i felt so horrible knowing he did that. it killed him. cocaine took my only true hero from me, and there was no changing it. His death made me value life a little more, and i still support him to this day. so saying "he was annoying" or "who cares about him, he just yelled and sold sh*t products that no one ever bought".... It hurts to hear.
And to watch all these commercials where they've taken him out, its painful and depressing to see. and whats worse, Anthony sullivan has to do everything now. its so sad to see him pitching oxu=i clean, or orange glow, and all the other things Billy once did. and the pain he must feel EVERY DAY knowing that this, this is how its going to be. because of all the people in the world that knew Billy, Sulley was his BEST FRIEND. and i guess i look up to him, too, for what he's done, who HE was, and how him and Billy were the best two people ive ever know. I feel bad for Sulley. I really do.
so why my fascination? Billy wasnt just a pitchman, or some guy with an amazing beard that sold oxiclean, but he was MY hero, and he will always mean something to me, and everyone who knew him.
*may need a `little' revision*
Billy Mays is STILL my Hero.
Then, I made that face...
