Billy Mays, the American advertising guru who successfully launched and sold dozens of products on television with his abrasive, shouting manner during infomercials has died, aged 50.

May’s, who began his sales career in Atlantic City, NJ., selling the Washmatik portable washing device, traveled to home shows, auto shows, and state fairs across the US for 12 years, selling various maintenance products and tools, including cleaning products and food choppers before moving onto the small screen with his unique selling style.

In 1993 Mays appeared on the Home Shopping Network in St. Petersburg, Florida selling Orange Glo International’s range of cleaners, OxiClean, Orange Clean, Orange Glo, and Kaboom.

Regarded as an old school “pitchman”, Mays became well known to American television viewers for promoting a range of “As Seen on TV” commercials, commencing with the Ginsu knife but spread to cult status with the ShamWow guy and Mays.

According to USA Today the $150 billion a year industry started by Mays, direct sale ads on TV, are up, partly because traditional commercials are down.

Tony Santelli, merchandise manager, for Walgreens, says. “while retailers remain in a slump overall, direct-response products have become hot performers.”

On June 27, Mays was aboard US Airways Flight 1241 which landed roughly when one of its front tires blew out. The heavy impact of the landing caused objects from the overhead storage compartments to fall and strike some passengers.

Mays told WTVT-TV, a local Tampa Fox news station, that some of the objects “hit me on the head, but I got a hard head.”

The next morning he was found unresponsive by his wife in his Odessa, Florida, home and pronounced dead at 7.45am. An autopsy expected to be carried out today is expected to determine the cause of “the pitchman’s” death.