‘The Fresh Prince’ dad James Avery dead at age 68

James Avery – the beloved dad on “Fresh Prince of Bel Air” — has died at age 68 , according to TMZ .

Sources close to the actor tell TMZ he died in an L.A. hospital last night. Avery had recently undergone open heart surgery and took a turn for the worse late yesterday.

And we’re told … his wife, Barbara, had been at his bedside but left for a short period of time and when she came back … she learned he had just died.

Avery starred in dozens of TV shows through the years — shows like “Grey’s Anatomy,” “The Closer,” “L.A. Law,” and “The Jeffersons.”  This past year, he appeared in three TV movies — most recently, “Go, Bolivia, Go!” — but didn’t appear to have other projects in the works.