news Informercial Pitchman Billy Mays Dies at 50

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Informercial Pitchman Billy Mays Dies at 50

By Rennie Dyball

Billy Mays Photo by: Jeffrey Ufberg / WireImage

Billy Mays, the bearded infomercial pitchman with the trademark shout, has died in his sleep at home.

"Everyone [who knew] him was aware of his larger-than-life personality, generosity and warmth," the Discovery Channel (which aired his series, Pitchmen with Anthony Sullivan) said in a statement. "Billy was a pioneer in his field … He will be greatly missed as a loyal and compassionate friend. Our deepest sympathies go out to his family at this time of incredible loss."

Authorities tells the Associated Press that the 50-year-old was pronounced dead Sunday morning after being found by his wife, Deborah Mays. No foul play is suspected. An autopsy is expected to be performed by Monday afternoon.

On Saturday, Mays was onboard a U.S. Airways flight that made a hard landing in Tampa, but Brenda Geoghagan, spokesperson for Tampa International Airport, tells PEOPLE none of the passengers sustained injuries. The flight "made an emergency landing Saturday because the two front tires blew out under the nose wheel," she says. "We had a rocky landing because of it, and passengers were taken off of the plane in a bus and driven to a secure area where they were interviewed then released to get their bags. There were no injuries then."

Mays, a married father of two, cut his teeth selling goods on the Atlantic City boardwalk in the 1980s, allowing him to develop a booming voice for such products as Oxi Clean and Kaboom. For some pitches, "My voice has gone for 16 hours straight," he told PEOPLE in March.

Always proud of his work, Mays added that he never endorsed a product he didn't believe in, hawking everything from household products to insurance. "I sell products that help people out; I'm a problem solver," he said. "I'm not an actor, I'm a pitchman [and] it's been an exciting ride."