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.”

Page Six wrote “We hear that Escobedo had complications stemming from a liver transplant.” Reports say Escobedo was hospitalized last week, prompting Kimmel to cancel his Thursday show at the last minute to stay by his longtime friend’s side.

Cleto Escobedo III was an accomplished musician and bandleader best known for leading the house band on Jimmy Kimmel Live! since its debut in 2003. A native of Las Vegas, Nevada, Escobedo