Since its debut in 2003, Jimmy Kimmel Live! has established a style that still has audiences tuning in even now amid the 2025 TV schedule. The titular host aside, there are other members of that crew who’ve proven to be as invaluable to the show. Bandleader Cleto Escobedo III is one of those people, having provided music for the series since its debut. Sadly, it’s been confirmed that Escobedo has died at the age of 59, and Kimmel broke the news with an emotional tribute to his longtime friend and collaborator.
Kimmel took to Instagram to confirm Escobedo passed away earlier today, November 11, though he did not disclose his cause of death. The late-night host – who’d known his late bandleader since they were kids – shared a photo of his friend working on set. Via his message, the “heartbroken” Kimmel opened up about how he and Escobedo had been “inseparable” since childhood and shared what it was like working with him on the talk show:
Early this morning, we lost a great friend, father, son, musician and man, my longtime bandleader Cleto Escobedo III. To say that we are heartbroken is an understatement. Cleto and I have been inseparable since I was nine years old. The fact that we got to work together every day is a dream neither of us could ever have imagined would come true. Cherish your friends and please keep Cleto’s wife, children and parents in your prayers.
Cleto Escobedo III – who was also Jimmy Kimmel’s neighbor in Las Vegas – formed Cleto and the Cletones in 1995 around the same time Kimmel was navigating the entertainment industry. Once Kimmel landed Live!, he offered Escobedo the position of bandleader on the show, and the rest is TV history. Considering the strong ties Kimmel and Escobedo had, it’s incredibly sweet to see the host pay tribute to his friend in such a lovely way. Other celebrities also flooded the comments section with sweet and supportive sentiments:
- So sorry to hear this Jimmy. He was AWESOME. Love to his family. – Eric Stonestreet
- ❤️❤️❤️ love to [you], Cleto and his whole family. – Johnny Knoxville
- Love you Love to his incredible family. – Jeff Ross
- So sorry man. Love you Cleto❤️ – Ike Barinholtz
- I’m so sorry Jimmy. – John Stamos
This news comes just days after a taping of Live! was abruptly canceled, at which points guests were already lined up. It was reported at the time that the move was due to a “personal matter,” and no further details were provided at the time. It can’t be said with certainty whether that was in connection to the bandleader.
Over the last several months, Jimmy Kimmel Live! has experienced a number of high and lows, with the show garnering significant attention in September when it was suspended by ABC. That decision came down from Disney’s top brass after Kimmel made comments linked to the death of political pundit Charlie Kirk. The show was eventually reinstated five days later, and Kimmel addressed the matter during the opening monologue of his first episode back on air.
While the show will continue, it admittedly will be surreal not seeing Cleto Escobedo III lead the in-house band. He’d been a true mainstay of the show not unlike Kimmel’s sidekick, Guillermo Rodriguez, and the host’s late uncle, Frank Potenza. With various episodes of late-night TV under his belt and other musical endeavors, the late musician truly left his mark. We here at CinemaBlend extend our condolences to the Escobedo family as well as everyone at Jimmy Kimmel Live! during this difficult time.