Jimmy Kimmel's Longtime Friend and 'JKL!' Band Leader Cleto Escobedo III Dies at 59

In a shocking turn that has left the entertainment world reeling, the soulful force that gave the late-night show its vibrant musical energy is gone.

Cleto Escobedo III, the longtime leader of "Cleto and the Cletones," the house band on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," has died. The musician was a close childhood friend of comedian Jimmy Kimmel, who announced the heartbreaking news and shared how devastated he was by Escobedo's passing.

A Lifelong Bond Cut Tragically Short

Escobedo, who steered the house band on Kimmel's late-night show for decades, passed away on Tuesday, November 11, at the age of 59. Kimmel shared the sad news in an Instagram post that same day.

"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," Kimmel wrote.

He continued, "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."

Kimmel concluded by urging fans to treasure their friends and keep Escobedo's wife, children, and parents in their prayers.

The Show Suddenly Pulled – Now Fans Know Why

Escobedo's passing comes just days after it was revealed that the November 6 episode of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" was postponed due to a personal matter involving the host. Viewers were surprised when the show instead aired a rerun without prior notice.

The episode was originally set to feature "Malice" star David Duchovny, "Stranger Things" actor Joe Keery, and musical guest Madison Beer. However, ABC replaced it with a rerun of the October 28 episode.

Speculation has since grown that the personal matter may have been related to the health of Kimmel's close friend, though Escobedo's cause of death has not been disclosed.

It remains unclear when the postponed episode will air, as the following broadcast did not include Duchovny, Keery, or Beer. A representative for the show confirmed that plans are underway to reschedule it.

A Tearful Tribute and an Irreplaceable Loss

The November 11 episode featured different guests and opened with an emotional tribute from Kimmel, who shed tears as he honored Escobedo.

"We've been on the air for almost 23 years and I've had to do some hard monologues along the way, but this one's the hardest because late last night, early this morning, we lost someone very special who was much too young," Kimmel shared.

The show host noted that Escobedo was a devoted father and a responsible man. He and his wife, Lori, had two children — a daughter, Jesse, and a son, Cruz. Kimmel said Escobedo adored his wife and kids, adding, "Everyone loves Cleto... everyone here at the show. We are devastated by this. It's not... It's just not fair."

Escobedo was also the godfather of Kimmel's son, Kevin. Kimmel spoke fondly of their enduring bond, noting how they had supported each other throughout the years, with no pride or jealousy getting in the way of their friendship.

From Schoolyard Prodigy to National Spotlight

Although Kimmel and Escobedo had known each other since childhood, their bond deepened when "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" premiered in 2003, with Escobedo joining as the leader of "Cleto and the Cletones." The show host said that when he finally landed a talk show, he knew it had to feature Escobedo as the bandleader.

"He was a child prodigy. Like the whole school would gather to watch. He'd get standing ovations. It was a crazy thing," Kimmel recalled. Following in his father's footsteps, who was a professional musician, Escobedo professionally pursued music.

"He toured with Earth, Wind and Fire, Paula Abdul. He had his own record deal," Kimmel shared. Growing up, both friends admired David Letterman and his band.

When it came time for Kimmel to recommend Escobedo, he worried the network might hesitate to hire his childhood friend. To convince them, he took the president of ABC to see Escobedo perform with his band. The executive was impressed, and the deal was sealed.

From childhood neighbors, they were now seeing each other every weeknight on national television. "Of course I wanted great musicians, but I wanted somebody I had chemistry with. And there's nobody in my life I have better chemistry with than him," Kimmel noted.

The partnership was mutually beneficial. Before Kimmel's show, Escobedo had grown disillusioned with the music industry and had even stepped away from his saxophone for a time. From the premiere onward, the two shared the stage for more than a dozen years, continuing a friendship that had begun decades earlier.

Escobedo's father, Cleto Escobedo Sr., also plays in the band, performing on the tenor and alto saxophone. He cherished sharing the stage with his dad, and on one occasion, he posted a photo of the two walking away from the set, captioning it, "19 years of this!! Love ya Dad."

A Brotherhood Forged in Mischief and Music

Over the years, as Escobedo performed on the show, he and Kimmel shared countless memorable moments. On Escobedo's 50th birthday in 2016, Kimmel marked the occasion by retelling how they first met.

The duo crossed paths in January 1977, when Kimmel's family moved from Brooklyn to Las Vegas, and the Escobedos lived across the street. Escobedo, whom they called Junior, was a year older than Kimmel. Their first encounter was classic childhood awkwardness.

Jimmy Kimmel was riding a bike wearing boxing gloves and his mother's sunglasses, and when Escobedo saw him, he assumed he might be mentally challenged, only to find out he wasn't.

What followed was a friendship full of the kind of roughhousing only an older brother can get away with. Once, Kimmel built a wooden go-cart — he hammered it together, installed wheels and a steering wheel — only to discover later that Escobedo had snuck into the garage and glued the steering so it couldn't turn. Kimmel promptly drove it straight into traffic.

Another time, Escobedo's bicycle with a side cart became Kimmel's preferred ride. However, Escobedo would steer them directly into trash cans and bushes. Pranks were constant; for instance, when Kimmel headed home, he'd often turn and find Escobedo perched with a BB gun, aiming.

On occasions when their parents were away, they'd take Escobedo's family shotgun and shoot kites out of the sky. Their friendship was so close that Kimmel recalled having sleepovers at Escobedo's house 33 nights in a row.

They were never bored — they'd box each other for fun, pull prank calls, and even create rap songs and albums to poke fun at their neighbors.

Though both were skinny, Escobedo wanted to build muscle, so he signed up for a run-down gym, with Kimmel tagging along to keep him company.

Kimmel went on to share more stories from their childhood, admitting that there were plenty of other memories too wild to recount on television.

He said that Escobedo had taught him everything he needed to know growing up, though he added with a grin that some lessons were ones he probably didn't need to learn. The stories, funny and a little wild, show just how full of mischief and affection their childhood was.

Now, as Kimmel mourns the loss of his close friend, he announced that the November 12 and 13 episodes of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" would be canceled. "We're going to take the next couple of nights off," he said. The show host later explained that they went ahead with the November 11 episode because Escobedo wouldn't have wanted them to skip interviewing guest Eddie Murphy.

Escobedo will be deeply missed by his father and mother, who attended the "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" show that paid tribute to him, as well as by his wife, children, friends, and everyone whose lives were touched by his music.