Jimmy Kimmel delivers an emotional monologue remembering his lifelong best friend and bandleader Cleto Escobedo III, who passed away at 59. Read how their decades-long friendship shaped Jimmy Kimmel Live! and why this loss hits so hard.
Jimmy Kimmel Pays Tearful Tribute to His Best Friend and Bandleader Cleto Escobedo III, Dead at 59
Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel opened Tuesday’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! with one of the most emotional monologues of his career. Fighting back tears, Kimmel paid tribute to his lifelong best friend and bandleader Cleto Escobedo III, who passed away earlier that morning at the age of 59.
“We’ve been on the air for almost 23 years, and I’ve had to do some hard monologues along the way, but this one’s the hardest,” Kimmel began, visibly choked up. “Early this morning we lost someone very special, who was much too young to go, and I’d like to tell you about him.”
Escobedo, affectionately known as “Junior,” was more than just the saxophonist and musical leader of Jimmy Kimmel Live!’s house band, Cleto and the Cletones — he was family.
A Friendship That Spanned a Lifetime
Kimmel and Escobedo’s friendship was the kind you read about in novels. It began back in 1977, when Kimmel’s family moved to the Las Vegas suburbs from Brooklyn. Just “across the street and two houses over” lived the Escobedo family — and that’s where everything started.
“We became like 24/7, ‘Mom, please, let me sleep over, please’ kind of friends,” Kimmel recalled with a small smile. “One summer, I slept over at the Escobedo house 33 nights in a row. We were never bored — we were always up to something.”
From childhood adventures playing baseball and dressing up as cowboys to navigating awkward teenage years, the two were inseparable. They grew up together, served as best men at each other’s weddings, and ultimately spent their adult lives working side by side in television.
“He would call me, send me notes all the time — big stuff, little stuff — telling me, ‘I’m proud of you. I love this. I’m so happy that we get to be together all the time,’” Kimmel said. “He was just a great older brother. No baggage, all love.”
The Birth of Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Cleto’s Role
When ABC gave Jimmy Kimmel his own talk show in 2002, he knew exactly who he wanted by his side.
“When you do a show like this, you need a desk, you need an announcer, you need a Guillermo, and you need a band,” Kimmel said. “And of course, I wanted Cleto to lead my band. The idea that anyone other than him would lead the band was terrifying. It had to be him.”
To make it official, Kimmel arranged an audition with ABC executive Lloyd Braun for Cleto and his father, Cleto Escobedo Sr., a veteran saxophonist who once paused his own music career with the band Los Blues in 1966 to raise a family.
“They played ‘Pick up the Pieces’ by Average White Band,” Kimmel recalled. “Lloyd saw it, saw the father and son together, and said, ‘I love it.’ He just got up and left. And we’ve been working together every day for almost 23 years.”
That decision helped define the musical energy of Jimmy Kimmel Live! for over two decades. The chemistry between Kimmel and Escobedo was unmistakable — a blend of friendship, timing, and mutual respect that few talk shows could replicate.
“We had our own language that almost no one else understood,” Kimmel said. “We didn’t have to say anything. We’d sit here at rehearsal every day, look at each other — and that would be it.”
Remembering Cleto Escobedo III
Cleto Escobedo III was not just a television musician; he was a respected artist in his own right. Before joining Kimmel on late-night TV, Escobedo toured internationally as a saxophonist, notably with Paula Abdul, and recorded several studio albums.
On stage, he brought soul and rhythm; off stage, he was known for his humility, kindness, and humor. Kimmel described him as “no baggage, all love,” a man who radiated positivity to everyone around him.
His father, Cleto Sr., often appeared alongside him on the show — creating one of the few multigenerational partnerships in late-night history. It was clear from Tuesday’s monologue that the Escobedos were more than colleagues to Kimmel — they were family.
Gratitude Amid Grief
Though the cause of death has not yet been disclosed, Kimmel expressed his deep gratitude to the medical staff at UCLA Medical Center and Sherman Oaks Hospital, who cared for Escobedo in his final days.
“I’m grateful for my friends, Cleto’s friends, everyone who checked in on him, everyone who called and visited him, everyone who’s been helping his family,” Kimmel said. “Everyone here at our show has been so supportive.”
He extended heartfelt thanks to Escobedo’s parents, Cleto and Sylvia, for “making him, sharing him with me and with all of us, and treating me like their own son.”
The audience was visibly moved as Kimmel took a moment of silence before introducing the evening’s guest — Eddie Murphy, one of Escobedo’s favorite entertainers.
“Mostly, I want to thank Cleto’s parents for treating me like their own son,” Kimmel said, voice breaking. “Always cherish your friends. We’re not here forever.”
Taking Time to Heal
Kimmel ended his emotional tribute by revealing that he plans to take the next couple of nights off from hosting the show. “I wanted to be here tonight to tell you about my friend,” he said softly.
The tribute was raw, heartfelt, and deeply personal — a reminder of how rare and enduring genuine friendship can be in the entertainment world.
Cleto Escobedo III leaves behind not only a legacy of music but a life defined by loyalty, laughter, and love. For over two decades, he helped shape the sound and soul of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, making late-night TV feel a little warmer, a little funnier, and a lot more human.
And for Jimmy Kimmel, the loss isn’t just of a bandleader — it’s of a brother who helped make his dreams possible.
“There’s no one in my life I felt more comfortable with,” Kimmel said in closing. “I’ll miss him every day.”
