Jimmy Kimmel Tears Up as He Honors Lifelong Friend and Bandleader Cleto Escobedo: “Life Just Isn’t Fair”
Jimmy Kimmel delivered what he called the “hardest” monologue of his career on Tuesday night as he tearfully paid tribute to his lifelong best friend and “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” bandleader, Cleto Escobedo III, who died earlier that morning at age 59.
Kimmel explained that he and Escobedo met as kids after his family moved from Brooklyn to Las Vegas in 1977. Escobedo lived just a few houses away in Spring Valley, and the boys quickly became inseparable – even having sleepovers for “33 nights in a row,” Kimmel recalled.
He remembered Escobedo as a gifted saxophonist from childhood, a prodigy who earned standing ovations in junior high. Escobedo inherited his talent from his father, Cleto Escobedo II, who later joined his son in the show’s in-house band, “Cleto and the Cletones.”
After spending years performing in Las Vegas clubs, Escobedo landed gigs with Paula Abdul, Marc Anthony, Philip Bailey and others, even releasing his own album before returning to touring.
When ABC gave Kimmel his own late-night show in 2002, the comedian insisted his best friend lead the band – and that Escobedo’s father join him. Their audition impressed network executives, and for nearly 23 years, Kimmel, Escobedo, and the Cletones worked side by side.
Kimmel grew emotional as he thanked Escobedo’s parents, who were in the audience, saying they had been “like second parents” to him. He described the loss as devastating but said he felt grateful for the decades they shared.
Kimmel had announced Escobedo’s death earlier that day on Instagram. Although no cause was given, Page Six reported that he had complications related to a liver transplant.
