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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

A pitch from beyond

Mays (The Spokesman-Review)
Frazier Moore Associated Press

Death won’t still the voice of Billy Mays or his mighty powers of persuasion.

Viewers will continue to find the boisterous, bearded TV pitchman hawking household products for the indefinite future – including one commercial being introduced posthumously.

“Just stretch, wrap and it fuses fast,” says Mays, demonstrating a product called Mighty Tape on a kitchen drain pipe in the new commercial that begins airing Monday.

Moments later, he’s seen, still wearing his signature sport shirt and khaki slacks but accessorized with scuba gear, as he repairs a hole in another diver’s air hose.

Mays’ advertising for other products in the Mighty brand line returned to the air last week following his June 28 death from an apparent heart attack.

“Our feeling is, everyone wants to have Billy go on,” said Bill McAlister, president of Media Enterprises, a sales and marketing company based in Trevose, Pa. “This is what he would have wanted.”

The 50-year-old Mays had worked with several other companies with rousing names like OxiClean, Awesome Auger, WashMatik and Orange Glo.

It’s not yet certain which of his product pitches will continue to be broadcast, and for how long, said his attorney, Roger Pliakas.

“We’re waiting to hear what the companies want to do,” Pliakis said. “We’re just hoping it’s all done in a tasteful manner.”

On Thursday at 9 p.m., Discovery Channel will air a documentary, “Pitchman: A Tribute to Billy Mays.”

Mays had been featured in a 12-part series on the network called “Pitchmen.”

The birthday bunch

Actor Dale Robertson is 86. Actor Harry Dean Stanton is 83. Actress-singer Polly Bergen is 79. Actor Vincent Pastore (“The Sopranos”) is 63. Singer and comedian Kyle Gass (Tenacious D) is 49. Actress Jane Lynch is 49. Actor Jackie Earle Haley is 48. Actor Matthew Fox is 43. Actress Missy Gold (“Benson”) is 39. Country singer Jamey Johnson is 34. Rapper taboo (Black Eyed Peas) is 34.