Jimmy Kimmel Pays Tribute to Longtime Bandleader Cleto Escobedo III After His Death

Jimmy Kimmel honored his childhood best friend and musical director, Cleto Escobedo III, following Escobedo’s death on Tuesday at the age of 59, a loss that will be felt throughout late-night television.

During a deeply emotional 22-minute monologue on yesterday’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Kimmel recounted decades of friendship with Escobedo, beginning with their childhood in Las Vegas. He described a bond built on shared passions – including baseball, boxing, and a mutual admiration for David Letterman – and a unique, unspoken understanding. “We had our own language that almost no one else understood,” Kimmel said through tears. “We didn’t have to say anything. We’d sit here at rehearsal every day… I knew he was thinking about looking at me and I was thinking about looking at him.”

Escobedo, a gifted saxophone player described as a “child prodigy” by Kimmel, led the house band, Cleto and the Cletones, since the show’s premiere in 2003. Kimmel explained how crucial it was to him that Escobedo and his father both be included in the band, successfully pitching the idea to ABC executive Lloyd Braun. “The idea that anyone other than him would lead the band was terrifying,” Kimmel stated. He added that providing an opportunity for Escobedo’s father to return to music after a decades-long hiatus was “the single best thing about doing this show.” You can find more information about the show’s history here.

Kimmel emphasized the widespread affection for Escobedo within the show’s team, noting that “everyone here… we are devastated.” Jimmy Kimmel Live! will be taking a few nights off to mourn the loss. Kimmel concluded by expressing gratitude for their years of friendship, stating, “Even though I’m heartbroken to lose him, I’m going to take yet another lesson from him and acknowledge how lucky I was to have him literally at my side for so many years.”