By Lee Pfeiffer

Billy Mays, the seemingly omnipresent pitchman seen all over American TV, has died at age 50. The stocky Mays had parlayed his "spiel" of in-your-face promotions for household cleansers and other products into a virtual trademark. Clad in his familiar blue shirt and tan trousers, the stocky, bearded Mays would wake viewers out of their stupors by literally shouting about the quality of his products. In a recent profile on a major TV show, it became clear that Mays had legions of fans who would mob him for autograph and flatter him by reciting his ads verbatim. For others, his bombastic approach caused them to frantically search for the mute button on their remote control. By all accounts, however, Mays was a likable man who relished his unusual status as a celebrity pitchman. Even those who didn't like his TV persona had to confess admiration for the way he built himself into a one-man industry. He had also just premiered his cable TV show Pitchmen in which he evaluated prospective new products for late night TV marketing. Mays was on a flight that had a rough landing in Tampa yesterday, though it isn't confirmed that incident might have had anything to do with his death.

Mays is the latest celebrity to die in a week that has already seen the passing of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson.

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By Lee Pfeiffer

NBC News has confirmed that Michael Jackson has died from cardiac arrest. NBC says the death was verified by Jackson's family. The 50 year old pop legend had been rushed to the hospital earlier today in a coma after suffering a heart attack. Jackson had been planning a series of comeback concerts to begin in July 2010, after having been postponed for a year.  It is a cruel irony that Jackson died within hours of Farrah Fawcett, who also became a superstar during the 1970s. Jackson's career spanned from being the youngest and most charismatic of The Jackson Five and later became perhaps the most popular singer of his generation. His landmark 1982 album Thriller, produced by Quincy Jones, spawned many chart-topping hits. It became the top selling record of all time with sales of over 100 million units. Before long, Jackson became a superstar whose fame and fan base extended worldwide. He also popularized the music video and MTV with his Thriller mini-movie that boasted top flight special effects and was directed by John Landis. The video also featured a classic voice over from Hollywood legend Vincent Price.  

Jackson's storybook lifestyle was short-lived, however. He began to exhibit increasingly eccentric behavior, much of it propagated by himself. Although his fan base remained extremely loyal, he became a punch line on virtually every comedy show. Jackson never commented on his sexuality, though it was widely believed he was gay. He had two short-lived marriages, the first to Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley. The second marriage was one apparently of convenience, but did result in his wife bearing three children. This, too, resulted in  controversy as Jackson's critics claimed he was too childlike himself to raise children properly. Scandal followed scandal with Jackson's penchant for inviting little boys to spend the night with him at his opulent Neverland Ranch resulting in his being charged with child molestation. He beat the rap, but the case severely damaged his reputation. His lavish spending habits went unchecked and he was the support system for a seemingly endless stream of family members and hangers-on. Despite being one of the wealthiest performers in history, he failed to pay creditors and had lost much of his empire. It remains unclear what assets he left behind because his personal affairs were so convoluted. Jackson had been actively involved in planning a series of comeback concerts that were estimated to have a potential gross of $500 million. However, some experts say that even that phenomenal sum might not be enough to equal the debts he had amassed. Despite his eccentricities and a strict upbringing that deprived him of a normal childhood, Jackson's legacy will be as one of the greatest entertainers in American history. His death will certainly become one of those tragic moments that will cause everyone to remember where they were when they heard the news.

Update: MSNBC News reports that it may be weeks before a final coroner's report officially designates the cause of death.

Actress Farrah Fawcett has lost her long battle with cancer and has passed away at age 62. Earlier reports indicate she had been given Last Rites. She had been hospitalized for the last two weeks. Sadly, she never was able to fulfill her desire to finally marry her long-time beau Ryan O'Neal, who was at her bedside when the end came. More details to follow. 

By Lee Pfeiffer

Ed McMahon, who transformed himself from being a second banana to Johnny Carson to becoming one of the most beloved American TV personalities of all time, has passed away at age 86. McMahon actually teamed with Carson on the game show Who Do You Trust? but the pair became TV legends when they took over NBC's The Tonight Show from Jack Paar in 1962. The industry would never be the same. The Carson/McMahon team became "Must See TV" for the majority of American audiences and at one time was said to represent 30% of NBC's annual profits. So great was their audience share that no other network ever came close to toppling their reign. ABC and CBS threw everything but the kitchen sink into the coveted 11:30 time slot, but Johnny and Ed steamrolled over everyone from Joey Bishop to Dick Cavett. 

McMahon was the perfect foil for the likeable but opaque Carson, a man who audiences felt comfortable "inviting" into their bedrooms every night but who scrupulously avoided the spotlight in between shows. McMahon never sought to be top dog and was quite content to stay with Carson throughout their reign between the years of 1962 and 1992. When Carson decided to retire, Ed chose to do so too, realizing that staying on with Jay Leno would have changed the dynamic for the public in a way they probably wouldn't have accepted. McMahon had a unique ability to make Carson look funny even when a joke bombed, which was rare. On such occasions, Carson would be greeted by silence at the punch-line, only to have Ed's bellicose laugh, deriving from his friend's distress, fill the room. The result would be that the audience would inevitably go hysterical. McMahon was more than just a decoration on the set, however, where he maintained his seat on the couch off to the right of Carson. He was witty, urbane and made the most of his penchant for drinking. (When John Wayne dropped by the set, Carson introduced them as "The High and the Mighty").  He could take a joke, but was also able to dish out spontaneous one-liiners that could bring down the house.

Actor Del Monroe, who starred opposite Richard Basehart and David Hedison in the hit 1960s TV series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, has died from leukemia, according to the National Enquirer. Monroe, who appeared in many other classic TV shows, lived to see a resurgence of interest in the show and was stunned by the enthusiastic reception accorded to him at fan conventions. Monroe had also appeared in the 1961 feature film that the series was based on. For more click here

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Actor David Carradine, a prominent member of Carradine family of noted actors, has been found dead in a Thailand hotel. His body was found by a hotel maid. The 72 year-old actor was originally thought to have committed suicide, but Bangkok police have now revised that theory and are hinting that his death may have been due to a bizarre accident. There were no signs that Carradine was suffering from suicidal tendencies. He was in Thailand to begin filming a new movie, but had not showed up for a cast and crew social event. Carradine, the son of legendary actor John Carradine, had gained fame from his 1970s TV series Kung Fu. He also made many feature films and gained the most recognition for his portrayal of folk singer Woody Guthrie in Bound for Glory. More recently, Carradine became a favorite among younger audiences because of his titular role in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill films. For more click here