Jimmy Kimmel Mourns the Death of His Lifelong Friend and Bandleader Cleto Escobedo III

Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel is grieving an unimaginable loss. His best friend since childhood — and the heart of Jimmy Kimmel Live! — Cleto Escobedo III, has passed away at the age of 59.

Kimmel announced the heartbreaking news on Instagram on Tuesday, November 11, sharing a deeply personal tribute:

“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 Friendship Forged in Youth

Cleto wasn’t just Kimmel’s bandleader — he was part of the comedian’s life story. The two met as children growing up in Las Vegas and bonded instantly over humor, music, and endless mischief.

In a previous birthday segment on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Kimmel recalled their early adventures:

“Cleto had a bicycle with a sidecar attached to it. We called it the side hack. I would get in the sidecar and then Cleto would drive me directly into garbage cans and bushes.”

Their pranks only grew bolder with age. “Cleto would quietly, in the back, slip out of his pants and moon people from the back of our car,” Kimmel once joked.

That mischievous bond turned into a lifelong friendship that would eventually reshape late-night television.

From Las Vegas Dreams to Late-Night History

When Jimmy Kimmel Live! launched in 2003, Kimmel knew exactly who he wanted as his musical director.

“It had to be Cleto,”

he told ABC7, recalling how he convinced the network to let his best friend take the role.

“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.”

That choice defined the show’s identity. For more than 20 years, Cleto and his band, Cleto and the Cletones, brought life, humor, and unforgettable rhythm to the late-night stage — alongside Cleto’s father, Cleto Escobedo Jr., who played saxophone.

“I’m in seventh heaven every night,” Cleto Sr. once said. “I’m playing music with my son on a show with my other son. There’s not another father-and-son duo on late-night TV.”

A Life Devoted to Music

Born August 23, 1966, in Las Vegas, Cleto Escobedo III was raised in a family steeped in music.

“There was music everywhere,” he said in a 2024 interview. “I remember my dad playing in Hawaii when I was 5. I used to tear up watching him perform — I was so moved by the music.”

By college, Cleto was performing on the Las Vegas Strip, and his talent soon took him across the world. He toured with artists such as Paula Abdul, Earth, Wind & Fire, Luis Miguel, and Marc Anthony, before getting the call that would reunite him with his childhood best friend.

“When ABC offered me my show, I prayed that they’d let me hire Cleto,” Kimmel told Variety. “And to my amazement, they agreed, sight unseen.”

A Legacy of Friendship, Music, and Joy

For over two decades, Cleto wasn’t just the sound of Jimmy Kimmel Live! — he was its soul. His joyful energy, musical brilliance, and deep friendship with Kimmel became part of the show’s very DNA.

Kimmel’s tribute summed it up best:

“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 have imagined would come true.”

Cleto Escobedo III leaves behind his parents, wife Lori, children Cruz and Jesse, and millions of fans who will never forget his warmth, laughter, and music.

His rhythm may have ended, but his harmony lives on — in every note he played, every laugh he shared, and every friendship he inspired.