The recent deaths these past weeks has been difficult for myself, as others. It doesn’t necessarily matter whether you know the people personally – death stops us in our tracks. With Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, many people have felt the sting of losing a star, an icon, a friend.
But for some reason, Billy Mays’ death hit me hard. Why would a pitchmen, who I’ve never met, and only known from deafeningly loud TV spots affect myself?
I think much of it began when I started watching the new Discovery series “Pitchmen”. Watching the show with two buddies, Billy and Anthony Sullivan, was fun, and refreshing. It was there I got a chance to see the competitiveness, the laughs, the character both Billy and Anthony possessed.
Then it hit me – Billy May’s to me was something I didn’t realize – a type of father figure. Having lost my dad at the age of 12, I’ve known the toll death can have on you. It stings bitter than any other wound. So with Billy, when you see the guy – he’s got the tough exterior anyone else has – but something more. If you look further in – you see a likable guy – who loves his family, and genuinely cares about other people.
After I heard word of his death, I began researching more – I listened to a phone interview a local Florida radio station had of Anthony ; what seemed to be hours after the loss. He was a broken up friend – you could hear the emotion in his voice. I can empathize fully with what he was going through- it stings hard at first.
I wish well to the family and to all those who worked with Billy. He impacted me in a way I never thought any TV pitchmen could.
