TV pitchman Billy Mays, he of the bright blue shirt, black beard, and booming voice, died quite young last week. His funeral was held today (see article here). Billy sold a lot of Oxiclean and Orange-Glo.
Mays' style always reminded me of Dick Lane who sold cars and commented on wrestling and roller derby on TV station KTLA in the Los Angeles area in the 1950s. Dick was called Leather Britches, named for a chaps-wearing character he played on the Spade Cooley country music show.
Lane had the same sort of loud, bombastic style as Billy Mays. Somehow both of them made it work, if continued TV employment counts as working. I never understood why as neither could sell me anything - I don't like to be yelled at.
