I took this pic in 2008 because I saw the Fresh Prince on side of The Detroit People Mover
Paying tribute this week to 90s hit sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, after hearing that James Avery who played Uncle Phil on the show passed away December 31, 2013.
According to an article from CNN, Avery was 68 years old and suffered complications from an open-heart surgery.
Will Smith who gained his stardom playing Avery’s street smart nephew, posted a recent photo of the last time he was with Avery on his Facebook page and included this statement:
“Some of my greatest lessons in Acting, Living and being a respectable human being came through James Avery. Every young man needs an Uncle Phil. Rest In Peace.”
Alfonso Ribeiro who played Avery’s son Carlton on the show also included photos and tribute posts on his Facebook page stating:
“Here’s another photo of James from our wedding. It is still hard to believe he is no longer with us. It feels like yesterday when I would drop by his dressing room and learn about some of the great Jazz music he would listen to. Such a warm, inspiring, wonderful man.”
I loved Avery’s memorable role as a stern but caring uncle who kept Smith’s wild character in place.
I remember at the time the show aired Will Smith was more known for being a rapper with his hip-hop duo as DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince but after the first season The Fresh Prince blew up in popularity and the rest is history.
I also recall that at my school If you didn’t watch the show then you lived under a rock. The kids in my class would always talk about the show and repeat the jokes.
One of my favorite episodes with Avery is when Will gets himself in debt with a pool hustler and Avery has to come to the rescue. At first Avery acts like he can’t shoot pool to raise the ante on the bet before going into shark mode and getting even with the pool hall hustler.
The Fresh Prince ran from 1990 to 1996 and the show carries memories of an awesome cast filled with memorable scenes, catch phrases and of course one signature dance number by Ribeiro!
I am glad that I grew up watching it and carrying the memories of the 90s era.
Below is a link to my favorite clip of the pool scene from nub2sauce You Tube channel.
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