Cleto Escobedo III, Band Leader of Jimmy Kimmel Show, Passes Away at 59

Cleto Escobedo III, lifelong friend of talk show host Jimmy Kimmel and band leader of 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!', passed away on November 11 at the age of 59. Kimmel announced the death of his friend on Instagram the same day, expressing deep condolences.

Kimmel wrote, "This morning we lost a great friend, father, son, musician, and person. My longtime band leader Cleto Escobedo III. To say we are heartbroken is an understatement. Cleto and I have been inseparable since I was 9 years old. The fact that we got to work together every day was a dream neither of us could have ever imagined would come true."

Born on August 23, 1966, in Las Vegas, Escobedo began playing with his father, a tenor saxophonist, at the age of 11. He formed his own band, 'Cleto and the Cletones', in 1995, and joined as the house band leader at Kimmel's request when ABC launched 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' in 2003. He became a key figure in shaping the show's identity, responsible for its music for over 22 years.

Kimmel and Escobedo met when Kimmel's family moved to Las Vegas in 1977 and lived across the street. Kimmel shared childhood memories on air during Escobedo's 50th birthday in 2016, saying, "Cleto had a bicycle with a sidecar. We called it the side hack. When I got in the sidecar, Cleto would drive me straight into trash cans and bushes."

Before appearing on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!', Escobedo toured and recorded with major artists such as Luis Miguel, Marc Anthony, Paula Abdul, and Philip Bailey of Earth, Wind & Fire. The cause of death has not been disclosed, but Kimmel expressed gratitude on air to the doctors and nurses at UCLA Medical Center for taking care of his friend. Escobedo is survived by his wife Lori, two children, and his parents.