Jimmy Kimmel shares a touching goodbye to best friend and bandleader Cleto Escobedo III

Mark Wales
Thu, 13 Nov 2025 23:46:18 +0000
Bandleader, Celebrity, Childhood friendship, Cleto escobedo iii, Death announcement, Heartbroken, House band, Instagram post, Jimmy kimmel live, Mourning, Saxophone player, Talk show, Touching goodbye, Jimmy kimmel

The host and star of Jimmy Kimmel Live! said goodbye to a best friend during his monologue Tuesday night. Jimmy Kimmel informed the studio audience and fans around the world of the death earlier that morning of Cleto Escobedo III. As bandleader for the show, Escobedo had spent decades excelling as both a phenomenal saxophone player and leader.

An emotional Kimmel was moved to tears as he shared the journey of a childhood friend who had passed away that Tuesday morning, November 11, at the age of 59. "We lost someone very special who was much too young to go, and I would like to tell you about him," Kimmel said.

You can watch Kimmel's touching monologue here:

- YouTube youtu.be

Kimmel shares the remarkable story that solidified his love and admiration for Escobedo

Kimmel emotionally yet professionally delivered the remarkable story that solidified his love and admiration for Escobedo, calling him a "great friend, father, son, musician, and man."

Kimmel conveyed the story of arriving in Las Vegas in 1977. Escobedo was the boy from across the street—one year older and already a talented musician who would become a lifelong friend. Kimmel described their early friendship, saying, “He was a year older than me. His name was Cleto, but we called him Junior.”

Kimmel continued with admiration, “He was a child prodigy who would get standing ovations in junior high school.” He added that they regularly had sleepovers at each other’s homes—at one point, he mentioned, it must have been “33 nights in a row.”

As Cleto got older and his musical talents continued to blossom, he was playing in bars, clubs, and lounges all over Las Vegas. He even played sax for pop star Paula Abdul, which eventually led to him signing a record deal.

When Kimmel landed his talk show in 2002, he knew his childhood friend was the perfect choice to run the house band: “When you do a show like this, you need a few things.” Kimmel continued, “Of course I wanted Cleto to lead my band. We grew up watching Dave (Letterman) and Paul (Shaffer), and the idea that anyone other than him would lead the band was terrifying. It had to be him.”

Kimmel posts the painful loss on his Instagram

See on Instagram

Kimmel seemed emotionally rocked and often on the verge of tears as he spoke about the loss of his friend and the journey of their important friendship. It was a journey that culminated in incredible success and prestige. Kimmel and Cleto became so successful that they even brought Escobedo Senior onto the show. Kimmel said, “I’ve often said that the single best thing about doing this show was getting the opportunity to allow Cleto Senior to pick up where he left off in 1966 and become a musician again with his son.”

Kimmel went on to say, “Senior [Cleto’s father] and Sylvia, Cleto’s mom, have been like second parents to me.” He continued, “Everyone loves Cleto. Everyone here at the show. We are devastated by this. It’s not…It’s just not fair.” Fighting back tears, he continued, “Even though I’m heartbroken to lose him, I’m going to take yet another lesson from him and acknowledge how lucky I was to have him literally at my side for so many years.”

Jimmy Kimmel hosting his late night talk show.Erin Scott/ Wikimedia Commons

Clearly upset by the whole experience, Kimmel went on to finish his show. He explained that he needed a couple of nights off to continue mourning and navigating the loss of a cherished friend. Kimmel conveyed his grief, stating, “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.”