I am Billy Mays III, only son of Billy Mays. (Also known as Infinite Third) Ask Me Anything.

I always thought there was only one Billy Mays but today reddit was like, "BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!"

THIS is one of my favorite random comments so far.

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I appreciate this question.. and I will answer the best that I can.

My father was not a perfect man. He grew up in a notoriously shady town and it's a wonder he ever even made it out of there alive. He liked to party growing up and these bad habits did indeed follow him into his adult life. He struggled with many different impulses throughout his life. BUT...

I can say, without question, that in the years before his death (I would say the peak of his career) he was in no way a "cokehead." He was dealing with a bad hip and 2 botched hip replacements (his third was scheduled for the day after he died) and was overprescribed painkillers and other stress-related drugs. And with his history of addiction, this was not a great combination. It got to the point where he had trouble being his public self (traveling, always working on shoots, etc..) without painkillers to mask his excruciating hip pain.

And as for the "cocaine" found in his system, it is quite possible that he indulged in the drug sometime before his death but once again... HE DID NOT OVERDOSE. Actually, the drug itself was never found in his system. Only a certain residu that is usually attributed to cocaine use.

For the record, I'm not trying to cover up anything. I just think it was a shame how the headlines were written after the report came out and the fact that people say he "overdosed." I truly believe that "prescribed" drugs played much more of a role in his death than any "illegal" substance.

Notwithstanding, I will not lie and say my father didn't struggle with drugs throughout his journey. But, as I lived with him for the final 5 years of his life, I know that he was not a "cokehead" and that he tried his best to be a good human being.

Anyway, sorry for ranting. Thanks for posing the question like a real person.

EDIT: Thanks for the nice replies, everyone! And thanks to whoever gave me Reddit Gold! I will... do whatever- Reddit-Gold-is-used-for with it. And I will enjoy it, I'm sure!

When your father would yell at you, would it just sound awesome

He would rarely yell when not in front of the camera. And, as he would say, "I'm not yelling, I'm projecting!"

Your dad and my dad were good friends in our home town where your gram still does notary. He told me a story years ago about how your dad placed a brand new computer on this local struggling families front door for Christmas and never took claim for it. It always stuck with me that when I would see your dad on tv to know he was really a good man and never forgot where he came from. I just wanted to share this so people would know we really did lose a good man and not just someone who was on television. It's always good to see someone from your hometown make it but it's even better when you know the person deserves it. Take care.

Thanks for sharing! And yes, he never forgot his roots!

How do you feel about Vince, the shamwow guy?

My dad always had a grudge against him and, at first, I tried to be a peacemaker but then I decided to just let him have his silly rivalry.

Years later, I met Vince and he had only nice things to say about my dad.

For fun, I sometimes play up on the rivalry but I have no interest in any real conflict.

This comes to mind

....context?

I took this photo in LA. For some reason, this blown up mugshot of Vince was in CONAN's prop room.

How did you like his portrayal in the South Park episode?

I enjoyed the shit out it! Huge South Park fan and I'll admit, I was nervous when I heard that he would be part of the Dead Celebrities episode. I watched it alone and tried not to publicize it but was pleasantly surprised and honored. I really want to meet Trey and Matt someday.

Kinda expected you to be an asshole. Famous parent thing. You seem like a really humble and nice guy.

It would be hilarious if InfiniteThird came here only to promote his products and refused to answer all other questions.

Oh, by the way, this AMA is sponsored by OXI-CLEAN. POWERED BY THE AIR THAT YOU BREATHE, ACTIVATED BY THE WATER THAT YOU AND I DRINK.

JK..

Not a question, just a random fact you may find interesing:

My friends and I have a "Clan" in COD: Black Ops 2 called "BMay" (stupid clan system only allows 4 chars, it was BMays in previous games) and all of our names are products that your father pitched. As the leader, naturally I am OxiClean, but we also have AwesomeAuger, ToolBandit, GraterPlater. There are others who have played occasionally as well, but those are the main ones.

We often get people yelling "BILLY MAYS HERE" at us, it's pretty funny. Your dad is an icon.

/random factoid

I enjoy reading this!!

Not a question, but just wanted to let you know that I have this engraved on my Caps Lock key on my keyboard.

EDIT: OP DELIVERS! Sorry for the phone quality.

Why? Not sure, I was shopping around for a mechanical keyboard at the time and WASD offered custom keys with an image of your choice. I just so happened to stumble upon the image of Billy Mays and thought it'd be awesome if I can activate Billy Mays mode at will.

I'd like to see a picture! And I'm sure Reddit would like to, as well!

Do you have his godlike voice?

Not quite but I think my voice is getting stronger with age. (I'm 26)

What did your dad do before he was a pitch man?

He played football in college (WVU Linebacker) and I'm pretty sure "pitchman" was his only real profession.

What is your fondest memory of your dad?

There are A LOT but this is definitely up there: http://i.imgur.com/X7kSYT9.jpg

He took me to LA when he was on Conan (one week before he died). I always said that if he got on Conan that he'd HAVE to take me with him and when it was confirmed, there was no question. He said: "We're going to LA."

What do you think about the Jabo0ody Dubs parody videos of your dad (ex. here)?

Edit: A playlist of all 16 of his Billy Mays parody videos here!

I love them! My dad wasn't very computer/internet-literate but he would always mention "Jaboody Dubs" to people who were. We've been in contact with the man behind the dubs and he's good people.

Did it ever bother you that your dad was a running gag to people? Or, were you guys laughing all the way to the bank?

We laughed, but definitely not to the bank. My dad just enjoyed the fact that people spoofed him and I've always found it interesting that his image turned into this meme type thing.

Is his TV character persona much different than him in real life? Has he ever brought his character home?

He was pretty much the most warm-hearted, generous person in regular life. He honestly never looked down on anyone. His "character" was just his long-developed skills as a pitchman personified.

What did you think about Pitchmen?

Do you like Anthony Sullivan?

Would you rather they continue playing your Dad's commercials or not?

I really enjoyed PitchMen and was pleasantly surprised by the way the show turned out. (I'm not exactly a fan of "Reality" TV)

I love Sully. I consider him a good friend.

And I never minded anyone playing his commercials posthumously. If there's anything I know, it's that he would have expected all his partners to continue using the image he developed to continue helping their business. But I can understand why it's weird in some cases.

Did you ever see the Epic Rap Battle of History with your dad in it where he battled Ben Franklin? What did you think of it?

Yes! It is indeed EPIC.

Are you following your fathers career choice?

Somewhat. I've worked behind the scenes in the production of infomercials for the past 6 years and am now transitioning further into my passion, which is pretty much just general creation. (art, music, writing, media, content, etc..) I do casually represent companies that I believe in, just not on a large scale yet. Perhaps someday if the situation calls.

Have you ever over heard someone talking about your dad or making a joke not knowing you were his son?

Yes, I usually like to let them talk and then allow them to feel slightly awkward when they find out. But I usually always assure them that I don't mind. (and I usually don't.)

Can you give an example of a time that you did mind?

Honestly, no. Most people in person are generally polite when discussing him even not knowing he's my dad. I've found it's the anonymity of the internet that makes people say shitty things, usually.

You're not answering in upper case.

Kinda disappointed.

I'M SO SORRY TO DISAPPOINT YOU. : )

I'm no longer disappointed.

Also this is the first time an OP of an AMA has answered me. I think that means we're best friends.

DID WE JUST BECOME BEST FRIENDS?!

How many blue shirts did your father have?

A LOT.

What was your dad like outside his job? Hobbies, etc? Do you know how he got started in his career?

He liked luxury cars... maybe too much! At the time of his death, he was leasing 4 totally unnecessarily expensive cars. I think he just liked to drive them because, to him, it represented some level of success that he had finally attained.

How was your father discovered? Did he do any acting/voice acting prior to becoming the face of OxyClean and other products?

He was trained by some of the best boardwalk pitchmen of Atlantic City and beyond, a dying breed.

I've been browsing your Infinite Third band page and I love your music. You have lots of albums listed, any suggestions on where to start if I wanted to hear more?

I was also wondering how you got into music and what other bands, if any, you get your inspiration from (my first thought was Explosions In The Sky). Thanks, Billy.

I would recommend "Gently" which was the album o wrote dealing with my father's passing: http://music.infinitethird.com/album/gently

Or (eardrops) which is my more recent ambient collection: http://music.infinitethird.com/album/eardrops

And I would say some big influences on my music are: Hammock, Eluvium, Reggie Watts (Beatbox improv), Mogwai, EITS and many more...

What is the best piece of advice your father gave you?

He always said that "Nerves are good." (Like before doing something intense, public speaking, etc..) "It means you're alive."

Your father motivated and inspired me to pursue my inventions for years. I'd stop and make time just to watch him sell anything. I was shocked when he died. I miss him still, and you have my deepest condolences.

I don't have a question, but thanks for doing this AMA.

Thank YOU for being motivated and inspired. Keep going!

His beard was so powerful and dark. Did he color it or was it naturally that dark and powerful?

He colored it! I don't feel like I'm letting out any kind of big secret. His father has full white hair/beard and I think my dad would have had a high percentage of grey hair all the way back in his thirties.

Hey Billy III, Thanks for your AMA. I'm sorry for your loss.

-Other than monetarily, how has being the son of Billy Mays affected your life before and after your father's passing?

Any funny stories about your father that you can share as well?

I've always used the analogy of a blanket from The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo: Something like... a blanket helps you stay warm in the winter but can be a burden in the summer.

Sometimes, it's of benefit to be "Billy Mays" and sometimes I just want my privacy/anonymity (Thankfully, no one cares THAT much.) But it's ALWAYS an interesting experience.

I'm thankful for all of it, really.

SHOULDN'T YOU BE TYPING LIKE THIS? OR DID HE NOT PASS THAT GENE ON TO YOU?

I THINK IT SKIPS A GENERATION. (OH SHIT, MAYBE NOT...)

How did your father groom his beard so well?

He did it all himself!

EDIT: With the occasional help of production makeup artists on shoot days.. (Hi Makeup Artists, thanks for doing what you do!)

I see on your twitter that you have a Les Paul. How old, what kind, and other guitars?

Fairly new, American Standard Classic. And that's pretty much my baby. I also have an American Fender Strat but I'm about to pass it along to a friend.

Your father was the best pitch-man i've ever witnessed. Anytime he'd come on TV, you would just be drawn to watch him. Very charismatic. He seemed to have that genuine enthusiasm for life that makes people just want to be around him. What is the coolest or funniest memory you have of your dad?

One time (after he was already mildly famous), he got chosen out of the crowd to be part of a David Copperfield illusion. Needless to say David recognized him and so did the crowd.. It was a uniquely funny moment. (As an epilogue, my dad ended up being the only person NOT to sign the non-disclosure agreement about how the trick was done. Of course, he told me and I was not impressed.)

I was hoping I would see this AMA pop up soon after the Hulk pic. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for your loss, the last episode of PitchMen got me right in the feels.

Me too! To this day, it hits me hard in the feels.

Just wanted to come by and say that your music is pretty cool. Not long after your father passed, I saw an experimental music show where somebody played triggered and manipulated audio from various Billy Mays commercials over drone loops while another person played the drums.

Nice! I'd love to see that.

How often do you have this conversation:

"Well yeah, I produce and I'm a musician and I'm trying to get--"

"HEY EVERYBODY, IT'S BILLY MAYS' KID!!"

Quite often... But I don't mind. : )

Me and my friend spent a summer imitating your dad, at first we made fun of him but after a while we realized that we wanted to be him.

Haha, I feel like this concept could make a silly short film or something..

Obviously from your other post, you were able to meet Hulk Hogan as a result of your dad's career....any other celeb meetings?

CONAN!

I'm sorry you lost your father so soon. Are there any recordings of your dad in his normal speaking voice?

Yes. If you can find it, I would recommend his interview on the Tonight Show. (with Jay Leno. The Conan one was more silly and less personal.) EDIT: But Conan is THE MAN.

EDIT 2: Also, there are some great personal interviews with him from the PitchMen series on Discovery.