The house band for “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” The name was changed after the death of bandleader Cleto Escobedo.
Formerly known as Cleto and the Cretones, they revealed their new name: The Cretones during Tuesday’s episode of the late-night show.
The show’s opening sequence credited the band’s new name, illuminated by flashing lights.
The musician, who was Kimmel’s lifelong best friend, died on November 11 of cardiogenic shock. He passed away at the age of 59.
Page Six exclusively reported that he also had complications stemming from a liver transplant.
Sources say Escobedo was hospitalized shortly before his death, which is why Kimmel canceled the Nov. 6 broadcast at the last minute to be by his best friend’s side.
The comedian announced the heartbreaking news to his fans on Instagram after Escobedo’s death, paying his heartfelt condolences.
“Early this morning, we lost my longtime bandleader Cleto Escobedo III, a great friend, father, son, musician, and human being,” Kimmel wrote on Instagram at the time.
“To say we are heartbroken is an understatement. Cleto and I have been inseparable since we were 9 years old. The fact that we get to work together every day is a dream neither of us ever imagined would come true. Please cherish our friend and keep Cleto’s wife, children, and parents in your prayers.”
Kimmel also paid tribute to his friend on his own show, crying as he praised him.
“We’ve been on the air for almost 23 years, and we’ve had to do some difficult monologues along the way, but this one was the hardest, because late last night and early this morning, we lost a special person who was too young to pass away,” the emotional comedian told the audience on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” November 12th.
He then talked about how he and Escobedo have been inseparable ever since they met as neighbors in Spring Valley, Nevada, in 1977.
“There was a boy who lived on my block… across the street, two doors down. His name was Cleto, but we all called him Junior,” the talk show host said.
“We had many adventures. We laughed a lot. We had our own language, which was almost incomprehensible to others,” Kimmel recalled of his childhood.
Escobedo and his father have been part of Kimmel’s house band since he launched his own show in 2003. Kimmel was fighting hard to get his best friend on the show.
