Jimmy Kimmel opened Tuesday’s episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” He has paid heartfelt condolences to his childhood friend and late-night bandleader Cleto Escobedo III, who passed away on Tuesday at the age of 59.
“We’ve been on the air for almost 23 years, and there was a time when I had to give a difficult monologue,” Kimmel said through tears. “But this is the hardest part, because late last night and early this morning, we lost a very special person. He was too young, too young to go. If you’d like, I’d like to talk about him.”
As Kimmel recalled his lifelong friendship with Escobedo, a photo from their childhood together in Las Vegas appeared on the screen. Escobedo’s father and mother, who are in Kimmel’s band, were in attendance Tuesday night. They were clearly moved by the compliment.
“There was a boy who lived on my block. He lived across the street, two houses down. He was a little over a year older than me. His name was Cleto, but we all called him Junior,” Kimmel explained. “Eventually, we met and became friends. It wasn’t just friends. We became friends 24/7, like, ‘Mom, let me sleep over, please.’ One summer, I stayed at Escobedo’s house for 33 nights in a row. My mom used to beg me to get down on my knees and sleep in front of him, and I was happy to do that, because we were never bored. We were always up to something.”
Kimmel recalled his life partner through stories of childhood pranks before explaining how he brought Escobedo to “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Kimmel said that Escobedo was his first choice to lead the band after appearing on the show in 2003, but admitted, “The pitch, ‘My best friend from childhood plays saxophone, so he can lead the band,’ didn’t sound good to me.” Despite his hesitation, Escobedo and his father passed the audition.
“They played ‘Pick Up the Peace’ by the Average White Band,” Kimmel recalled. “Lloyd saw it. He saw father and son. He said, ‘I love you!'” And he got up and walked away. And we have worked together every day for almost 23 years. ”
Kimmel later added, “Everyone who came on the show is devastated by this. It’s not fair. He was the sweetest, most humble, kind, always funny guy.”
Kimmel concluded his monologue by thanking the audience. He also said, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” He plans to take time off “for the next few nights” following Escobedo’s death.
Kimmel had to abruptly cancel Thursday’s broadcast to care for Escobedo as his condition worsened. The host shared the news of Escobedo’s death on Instagram, writing, “To say I am 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 your friend and keep Cleto’s wife, children, and parents in your prayers.”
This week’s episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” is being touted as being 80’s themed. Tuesday’s episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” featuring Eddie Murphy, Morgan Fairchild and musical guests Men at Work.
This isn’t the first time Kimmel has had a personal day. Perhaps most notably, he took time off as his young son Billy underwent treatment for a heart defect that required multiple surgeries. (Billy is now said to be doing well and making a full recovery.)
Kimmel is known for his strong loyalty to his friends and family (many of whom he employs on his show), and given that this incident involved one of his closest friends, it’s no wonder he chose to put them first and take a break from Thursday’s show.
Read Kimmel’s full eulogy below.
