TAMPA, FL -- "Hi, Billy Mays here..." His voice could grab your attention from another room. But in person - close friends of Billy Mays, like Marie and Doug Cooper - knew a much quieter man.
One photo, from a birthday party in December, reminds Doug of the time his mother-in-law poked fun at Billy for being so soft-spoken. "So all of a sudden in his loud voice, he goes, 'I can be loud if you want me to. I can project my voice!' And everybody just started cracking up," Doug recalled.
93.3 FLZ radio personality MJ spoke with Billy on the phone Saturday night one of the last people to talk with billy before he died Sunday morning. "He was a likable, happy guy," said Todd "MJ" Schnitt. "He was a nice man and I think people will remember him for his boisterous, happy attitude on television and the good products that he pitched."
MJ said the two talked about how Billy was supposed to have hip surgery on Monday. He said he didn't want to jump to conclusions about Billy hitting his head in the U.S. Airways jet during landing Saturday and Billy's death.
MJ also shared the conversation he had with Billy's good friend and business partner, Anthony Sullivan, who was trying to catch a plane from London to Tampa: "It's a really sad day for everyone. He was more than the man in the blue shirt with the big beard. He had a heart of a lion, a heart of gold," Sullivan said.
Jet black hair and beard, blue shirt, and loud voice are traits of the Billy many people will remember.
Friends say the 50-year-old man left this world too soon, but left behind too many good memories to count.
"'Cause he's worked so hard and so much, you know? It's just devastating. I just can't believe if I'm dreaming, if I'll wake up," Marie said.
