The Jimmy Kimmel Live team has lost a beloved member of its family. Cleto Escobedo III, who has served as the leader of the show’s band Cleto and the Cletones since the launch of the show back in 2003, passed away at the age of 59.
Host Jimmy Kimmel broke the news on Instagram on November 11, mourning the loss of his longtime friend in an emotional statement.
“Early this morning, we lost a great friend, father, son, musician and man, my longtime bandleader Cleto Escobedo III. 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.”
A cause of death has not yet been announced; however, Escobedo had fallen ill in recent months, causing the longtime Jimmy Kimmel Live bandleader to take a step back from the show. Page Six reports Escobedo’s hospitalization last week is what prompted Kimmel to cancel the taping of Jimmy Kimmel Live on Thursday, November 6. At the time, ABC simply noted the taping was canceled due to a “personal reason,” which Page Six reports was in connection to Kimmel canceling the show in order to be by his friend’s side.
As Kimmel noted in his emotional tribute to his late friend, he and Escobedo have known one another since they were nine years old. The pair grew up across the street from one another in Las Vegas and remained friends through the years.
When Kimmel landed his talk show in 2003, he knew immediately that he wanted Escobedo to be a part of the show's team, knowing how important having chemistry with his bandleader would be.
"I was nervous, because I thought they'd say 'we don't want your friend to be the bandleader. So I took the president of ABC to see him play with his band, and he loved it," Kimmel recalled of tapping Escobedo to be Jimmy Kimmel Live's bandleader in an interview with ABC7. "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."
Escobedo formed the Cletones in 1995, and prior to joining Kimmel on Jimmy Kimmel Live as the show's bandleader, toured with Paula Abdul and Earth, Wind and Fire. When Cleto and the Cletones joined Jimmy Kimmel Live, Escobedo's father, Cleto Escobedo Sr. joined his son alongside guitarist Toshi Yanagi, bassist Jimmy Earl, keyboard player Jeff Babko and drummer Jonathan Dresel.
It has not yet been announced by ABC whether Jimmy Kimmel Live will be taking a break in the wake of Escobedo's passing.