Cleto Escobedo III, the saxophonist and bandleader who helped shape the sound and spirit of Jimmy Kimmel Live! from its very first episode, has died at 59.
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Kimmel shared the difficult news on Tuesday, Nov. 11, writing a tribute that reflected a lifetime of closeness, creativity and unforgettable memories.
“Early this morning, we lost a great friend, father, son, musician and man, my longtime bandleader Cleto Escobedo III,” Kimmel wrote. “To say that we are heartbroken is an understatement. Cleto and I have been inseparable since I was nine years old. The fact that we got to work together every day is a dream neither of us could ever have imagined would come true. Cherish your friends and please keep Cleto’s wife, children and parents in your prayers.”
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The news came just days after the late-night show postponed its Nov. 6 taping for a “personal matter” involving the host, confirmed by Entertainment Weekly.
Presently, the cause of death has not been publicly released.
How did Jimmy Kimmel honor his friend?
Kimmel’s tribute was filled with emotion and rooted in their shared past, a bond that started in childhood and carried through to national television. In a 2016 segment celebrating Escobedo’s 50th birthday, Kimmel reflected on the kind of memories only lifelong friends could share, as per a report by People.
He recalled how Escobedo had a bicycle with a sidecar, famously known among their friends as “the side hack.” “I would get in the sidecar and then Cleto would drive me directly into garbage cans and bushes,” Kimmel joked at the time. There were also moments of teenage mischief, like when Escobedo would sit “on the lawn with his BB gun just shooting at me,” and the duo would “shoot kites out of the sky” after sneaking his dad’s shotgun. Kimmel even remembered the prank days when “Cleto would quietly, in the back, slip out of his pants and moon people from the back of our car.”
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Those stories, shared with affection and laughter, painted the picture of a bond built long before television lights, as per a report by People.
How far back did Jimmy Kimmel and Cleto’s friendship go?
Their connection began when they were nine years old, long before either man imagined working in show business. Escobedo was, as Kimmel once recalled, “a child prodigy.” “The whole school would gather to watch. He’d get standing ovations. It was a crazy thing.”
Music wasn’t just a talent for Escobedo, it was a path. He “toured with Earth, Wind and Fire, Paula Abdul” and “had his own record deal” before joining Kimmel on air. When Jimmy Kimmel Live! launched in 2003, the bandleader role wasn’t up for debate. “I’ll tell you one thing. It had to have my band leader, Cleto,” Kimmel said, as per a report by People.
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What role did Cleto play on Jimmy Kimmel Live!?
Cleto and the Cletones became an essential part of the show’s identity, blending musicianship with chemistry that fans quickly embraced. Cleto’s father, Cleto Escobedo Sr., also played in the band, performing tenor and alto saxophone. In January 2022, the father-son duo marked a meaningful milestone, with Cleto sharing, “19 years of this!! Love ya Dad.”
Kimmel recalled pushing to bring his friend into the show, admitting, “I was nervous, because I thought they’d say, ‘We don’t want your friend to be the band leader.'” That fear faded when the ABC president saw him perform and “loved it,” as per a report by People.
For Kimmel, having Cleto by his side was never just a professional choice, it was personal. “Of course I wanted great musicians, but I wanted somebody I had chemistry with. And there’s nobody in my life I have better chemistry with than him.”
Now, that bond stands as a legacy of friendship, loyalty and shared dreams realized. Kimmel asked fans to keep Escobedo’s family in their thoughts during this heartbreaking time.
“Cleto and I have been inseparable since I was nine years old,” he wrote, a line that now feels like both a tribute and a farewell to a lifelong companion whose music and presence shaped nearly two decades of late-night television, as per a report by People.
FAQs
Who was Cleto Escobedo III?
He was Jimmy Kimmel’s childhood friend and the leader of Cleto and the Cletones, the house band on Jimmy Kimmel Live! since 2003.
How did Jimmy Kimmel react?
Kimmel shared a heartfelt tribute, saying, “To say that we are heartbroken is an understatement.”
