Cleto Escobedo III, bandleader of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” The in-house band Cleto and the Cretones has passed away. He was 59 years old.
Kimmel shared the news about her childhood friend on social media on Tuesday, Nov. 11.
“Early this morning, we lost my longtime bandleader Cleto Escobedo III, a great friend, father, son, musician, and human being,” Kimmel wrote. “To say we are heartbroken is an understatement.”
“Cleto and I have been inseparable since we were nine years old. The fact that we get to work together every day is a dream that neither of us ever imagined would come true,” he added. “Please take care of your friends and keep Cleto’s wife, children and parents in your prayers.”
A cause of death was not immediately available.
In the 1970s, Kimmel and Escobedo grew up together as neighbors in Las Vegas. Primarily a saxophonist, Escobedo formed the band Cleto and the Cretones with Toshi Yanagi, Jimmy Earle, Jonathan Dressel, and Jeff Babko.
When Kimmel was hired as ABC’s late-night host in 2003, he tried to get Escobedo a role on his show. And Escobedo has been with the show since it first aired 22 years ago. Escobedo’s father, Cleto Escobedo Jr., also plays saxophone in the band.
“We started a lifelong friendship, highlighted by the kind of torture that only a brother can inflict on you without getting arrested,” Kimmel said in 2016 on a show celebrating Escobedo’s 50th birthday. “He taught me everything I needed to know. In fact, he taught me some things I didn’t need to know.”
On Monday, November 10th’s episode, Grammy Award-winning musician Christopher Cross performed with Cleto and the Cretones as part of the show’s ’80s Week. Singer Debbie Gibson will join the band on Wednesday, November 12th, and Susanna Hoffs will perform with the Cretones on Thursday, November 13th.
Last week, “Jimmy Kimmel Live” abruptly postponed its Thursday, Nov. 6, episode. A person familiar with the matter said the cancellation was due to personal issues involving Jimmy Kimmel.
