Cleto Escobedo III, the veteran saxophonist and bandleader who led Jimmy Kimmel Live!’s house band for more than two decades, has died, host Jimmy Kimmel announced Tuesday. He was 59.
In a heartfelt Instagram post, Kimmel described his lifelong friend as “a great friend, father, son, musician, and man.” He added, “To say that we are heartbroken is an understatement. Cleto and I have been inseparable since I was nine. The fact that we got to work together every day is a dream neither of us could ever have imagined would come true.”
No cause of death was immediately provided, though the Los Angeles Times and Deadline both confirmed Escobedo’s passing early Tuesday, November 7, 2023. The announcement followed Jimmy Kimmel Live! canceling a scheduled taping on November 6, 2023, citing a “personal matter” for the host.
Escobedo’s death ends a friendship that defined one of late-night television’s most enduring creative partnerships. The pair met as children after Kimmel’s family moved from New York to Las Vegas in 1977, settling across the street from Escobedo’s home. Kimmel has often credited his friend with helping shape both his humor and his taste in music. “Cherish your friends and please keep Cleto’s wife, children, and parents in your prayers,” the comedian urged fans Tuesday.
Over the years, Kimmel frequently celebrated Escobedo’s role on the show, devoting a full segment to him on his 50th birthday in 2016. During the on-air tribute, Kimmel shared childhood stories of their friendship — from wild bicycle rides that ended in garbage cans to elaborate teenage pranks. “Cleto had a bicycle with a sidecar attached to it,” Kimmel joked. “We called it the side hack. I would get in the sidecar, and then Cleto would drive me directly into garbage cans and bushes.” He also recalled a mischief-filled go-kart episode: “Cleto snuck into my garage and glued the steering column left or right. I went right into traffic.”
Those same mischievous roots grew into an inseparable working relationship. When Jimmy Kimmel Live! premiered on ABC in 2003, Escobedo was at the center of the show’s sound as the leader of Cleto and the Cletones. His father, Cleto Escobedo Sr., also joined the group as a saxophonist — creating one of television’s few father-and-son house bands.
Kimmel later explained that hiring Escobedo wasn’t just a creative choice, but a personal one. “Of course I wanted great musicians, but I wanted somebody I had chemistry with,” Kimmel told WABC in 2015. “And there’s nobody in my life I have better chemistry with than him.” He added that he once brought ABC executives to a nightclub to see Escobedo perform live, ensuring they would approve the hire, and “they loved it.”
Before his television career, Escobedo had already carved out a formidable musical résumé. Kimmel described him as “a child prodigy” who could captivate an audience even as a schoolboy, recalling that “the whole school would gather to watch him play, and he’d get standing ovations.” Escobedo toured with Earth, Wind & Fire’s Philip Bailey, Paula Abdul, and others, recorded as a solo artist, and earned a reputation in the Los Angeles jazz scene for his distinctive phrasing on alto and tenor saxophones.
Through 22 years and thousands of episodes, Escobedo’s lively performances bookended Kimmel’s monologues, sketches, and celebrity interviews — from Academy Awards after-parties to poignant musical tributes. When Jimmy Kimmel Live! marked its 19th anniversary in 2022, Escobedo shared a backstage photo with his father, writing on Instagram, “19 years of this!! Love ya, Dad.”
Fans and fellow musicians expressed sorrow and disbelief at the news on Tuesday, with many noting that Escobedo’s humor and warmth deeply reflected Kimmel’s own. “He was the quiet heartbeat of the show,” wrote fellow musician Reggie Watts on X. “You could tell that bond was real.”
Escobedo is survived by his wife, Lori, their children, and his parents. Kimmel’s final plea echoed a sense of gratitude that resonated far beyond his late-night studio: “Cherish your friends,” he said, “and please keep Cleto’s wife, children, and parents in your prayers.”
For more on Escobedo’s life and legacy, see full coverage at AP News and Deadline.
