Cleto Escobedo III, Jimmy Kimmel’s close friend and his talk show bandleader, has died. He was 59 years old.
Kimmel shared the news on Instagram, writing, “Early this morning we lost a great friend, father, son, musician, and my longtime bandleader, Cleto Escobedo III. To say we are heartbroken is an understatement. Leto and I have been inseparable since we were 9 years old. The fact that we started working together every day is a dream neither of us ever imagined would come true. Please take good care of your friends and keep the children and parents in your prayers.”
Escobedo and Kimmel were childhood friends and neighbors growing up in Las Vegas. While Kimmel moved into comedy, Escobedo formed the band Creto and the Cretones in 1995, primarily playing saxophone. When Kimmel launched “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” At ABC in 2003, he asked Escobedo to lead the house band. “I’ll always be grateful to him for this gig, because I think he could have tried to get someone more famous who would have helped the show more,” Escobedo said in a 2013 interview with ABC7. “But he trusted me and gave me this job, so I’ve tried to do the best I can.”
The cause of Escobedo’s death is unknown, but Variety confirmed that Kimmel’s show was abruptly canceled on Thursday for “personal reasons.” “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Kimmel will return with a new episode on Monday, and a new episode will air on Tuesday in which Kimmel will talk about the death of his friend and bandleader.
Escobedo played alto, tenor, and soprano saxophone and sang as part of the band. In addition to appearing on Kimmel’s show, Escobedo has toured with Paula Abdul, Marc Anthony, and Philip Bailey of Earth, Wind & Fire. Escobedo’s father, Cleto Escobedo Jr., also appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” house band.
In 2016, Kimmel celebrated Escobedo’s 50th birthday on air. “I met Cleto in January 1977, when my family moved from Brooklyn to Las Vegas. He lived across the street from us…We began a lifelong friendship, highlighted by the kind of torture only an older brother can inflict without being arrested.”
