Jimmy Kimmel Mourns Loss of Lifelong Friend and Musical Partner Cleto Escobedo III at 59
In a heart-wrenching Instagram post, Jimmy Kimmel announced the passing of his lifelong friend and musical partner Cleto Escobedo III. The 59-year-old band leader was a cornerstone of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" since its premiere in 2003, playing alongside his father Cleto Escobado Sr. as part of the band "Cleto and the Cletones."
Kimmel described the news as "an understatement," stating that he and Escobedo were inseparable since he was nine years old and had been working together every day as a dream come true. He expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to have Escobedo by his side, saying "Cherish your friends and please keep Cleto's wife, children, and parents in your prayers."
According to Page Six, Escobedo died due to complications from a liver transplant, although no further details were released. The news comes after an unexpected rerun of the show aired during a November 6 episode, prompting speculation about a "personal matter." However, Kimmel did not comment on the reason for the rescheduling.
Escobedo was more than just a musician to Kimmel; he was a childhood friend and partner in every sense. In a previous interview with ABC7, Kimmel called Escobedo a "child prodigy" and recalled how adamant he was about including him on his show. The two shared an unbreakable bond, with Kimmel crediting Escobedo for being the perfect band leader – someone he had chemistry with.
As news of Escobedo's passing spread, fans took to social media to pay tribute to the talented musician and devoted friend. The music world has lost a dedicated and gifted individual who brought joy and entertainment to millions through his work on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"
In a heart-wrenching Instagram post, Jimmy Kimmel announced the passing of his lifelong friend and musical partner Cleto Escobedo III. The 59-year-old band leader was a cornerstone of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" since its premiere in 2003, playing alongside his father Cleto Escobado Sr. as part of the band "Cleto and the Cletones."
Kimmel described the news as "an understatement," stating that he and Escobedo were inseparable since he was nine years old and had been working together every day as a dream come true. He expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to have Escobedo by his side, saying "Cherish your friends and please keep Cleto's wife, children, and parents in your prayers."
According to Page Six, Escobedo died due to complications from a liver transplant, although no further details were released. The news comes after an unexpected rerun of the show aired during a November 6 episode, prompting speculation about a "personal matter." However, Kimmel did not comment on the reason for the rescheduling.
Escobedo was more than just a musician to Kimmel; he was a childhood friend and partner in every sense. In a previous interview with ABC7, Kimmel called Escobedo a "child prodigy" and recalled how adamant he was about including him on his show. The two shared an unbreakable bond, with Kimmel crediting Escobedo for being the perfect band leader – someone he had chemistry with.
As news of Escobedo's passing spread, fans took to social media to pay tribute to the talented musician and devoted friend. The music world has lost a dedicated and gifted individual who brought joy and entertainment to millions through his work on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"
cleto was like family to jimmy i remember those early days when he started playing with him as a kid and just getting better and better... it's crazy how fast time flies and now he's gone 
i'm not surprised though, 59 isn't old, but you can never prepare yourself for the loss of someone who was that close to you 
my heart goes out to jimmy and his family, they must be devastated 
RIP cleto 
my heart is literally breaking for Jimmy Kimmel right now... losing a lifelong friend and musical partner like that is just devastating 
Cleto Escobedo III was more than just a band member, he was like a brother to Jimmy 
their chemistry on stage was undeniable, and it's clear how much they meant to each other 
59 feels way too young for him to be gone 
RIP Cleto, you will be deeply missed by the music world and especially by Jimmy 
my thoughts are with jimmy and his family, cherishing those memories must be hard but also beautiful 
they've been friends since jimmy was nine years old which is wild 
i feel bad for jimmy and his whole crew having to deal with this loss 
! Jimmy said they had chemistry on stage, but it's so much more than that... they were like two peas in a pod 
Please keep his family in ur prayers 
. So sad to hear he went too soon 
. My condolences to Cleto's family and friends 
. RIP Cleto #RIPcleto #JimmyKimmelLive #MusicLegend
anyway jimmy kimmel's post is so heart breaking especially the part where he says "cherish ur friends" u can tell how much cleto meant 2 him 
i feel so bad 4 his family esp his wife & kids 
jimmy said they were inseparable since he was a kid and that's just so true, they seemed like two peas in a pod 