Jimmy Kimmel's Heartbreaking Tribute to Childhood Friend
The entertainment world is mourning a significant loss as late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel announced the passing of his oldest friend and bandleader, Cleto Escobedo III. Kimmel shared the heartbreaking news on Instagram this Tuesday, expressing that "we are heartbroken is an understatement" about the death of his dear friend who was only 59 years old.
A Friendship That Began in Childhood
The two friends first met as children growing up in Las Vegas, where they lived across the street from each other. In a 2022 interview for Texas Tech University's Southwest Collection oral history archive, Escobedo recalled their instant connection. "We just met one day on the street, and there were a few kids on the street, and him and I just became really close friends," Escobedo had said, noting they shared the same sense of humor and were both huge fans of David Letterman during their childhood.
Escobedo pursued his passion for music professionally, specializing in saxophone and building an impressive career touring with legendary artists like Earth, Wind and Fire's Phillip Bailey and pop sensation Paula Abdul. His musical credentials included recording sessions with prominent artists such as Marc Anthony, Tom Scott, and Take Six.
From Childhood Pals to Professional Partners
When Kimmel secured his own ABC late-night talk show in 2003, he personally lobbied to have Escobedo lead the house band on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Kimmel explained his reasoning during a 2015 WABC interview, stating "Of course I wanted great musicians, but I wanted somebody I had chemistry with. And there's nobody in my life I have better chemistry with than him."
Their friendship was filled with memorable moments that Kimmel cherished. During Escobedo's 50th birthday celebration in 2016, Kimmel dedicated a segment to reminiscing about their childhood pranks, including incidents with a BB gun and mooning people from the back of his mother's car. One particularly fond memory involved "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," Kimmel recalled with affection.
The impact of Escobedo's passing was immediately felt on the show, with Thursday's episode of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" being abruptly canceled. The scheduled guests for that episode included David Duchovny, Joe Keery, and Madison Beer. The exact date and cause of Escobedo's death remain unknown at this time.
A Musical Family Legacy
Escobedo's musical talent ran in the family. His father also performed as a member of the Kimmel house band, playing tenor and alto saxophones. In January 2022, the father-son duo celebrated nearly two decades of performing together on-screen, a rare achievement in television history.
Escobedo explained how this family collaboration came about in his 2022 interview. When discussing band members with Kimmel, Escobedo suggested his regular musicians, but Kimmel had a better idea: "Hey, man, what about your dad? Wouldn't that be kind of cool?" Escobedo responded enthusiastically, "That would be way cool."
The bandleader position provided Escobedo with something he deeply valued: family time. He reflected on the challenges of touring life, noting that "Touring and all that stuff is fun, but it's more of a young man's game. Touring, also, too, is not really conducive for family life. I've learned over the years, being on the road and watching how hard it is, leaving your kids for so long. Sometimes they're babies; you come back and then they're talking."
Cleto Escobedo III is survived by his wife Lori, their two children, and his parents. In his emotional Instagram tribute, Kimmel wrote, "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."
