The Final Note: Jimmy Kimmel Mourns Bandleader and Lifelong Friend Cleto Escobedo III
The entertainment world dims a little darker this week as news reverberates through Hollywood’s corridors: Cleto Escobedo III, the magnetic saxophonist and bandleader who brought vivacity and soul to Jimmy Kimmel Live! for over two decades, has passed away at 59. The musician died Tuesday morning, November 11th, leaving behind a legacy that transcends the television screen and touches the very heart of late-night entertainment.
Jimmy Kimmel, visibly devastated, took to Instagram to share the heartbreaking news with his followers. “Early this morning, we lost a great friend, father, son, musician and man, my longtime bandleader Cleto Escobedo III,” the host wrote, his words heavy with grief. “To say that we are heartbroken is an understatement. Cleto and I have been inseparable since I was nine years old.”
Their bond wasn’t merely professional—it was the stuff of legend. Theirs was a friendship that began in the sun-baked streets of their youth, where a bicycle with a sidecar, affectionately dubbed “the side hack,” became their vehicle for mischief and adventure. Kimmel fondly recalled how young Cleto would steer him “directly into garbage cans and bushes,” a memory that sparkles with the kind of nostalgia reserved for lifelong companions. There were BB gun battles, stolen shotguns shooting kites from desert skies, and the notorious pants-dropping pranks in the backseat of Kimmel’s mother’s car—all the beautiful chaos of boyhood friendship.
But beneath the hijinks lived extraordinary talent. Cleto was nothing short of a prodigy, a musical virtuoso whose saxophone could make entire schoolrooms rise to their feet in thunderous applause. Before becoming the sonic heartbeat of late-night television, he toured with Earth, Wind & Fire and Paula Abdul, secured his own record deal, and established himself as a force within the music industry.
When Kimmel launched his eponymous talk show in 2003, there was never a question of who would lead the house band. “I’ll tell you one thing. It had to have my band leader, Cleto,” Kimmel insisted to network executives, even arranging a special performance to convince ABC’s president. The chemistry between them was undeniable, irreplaceable—a partnership built on decades of shared history and mutual respect.
Cleto and the Cletones became synonymous with Jimmy Kimmel Live!, their infectious energy filling the studio night after night. Performing alongside his father, Cleto Escobedo Sr., also a saxophonist in the band, Cleto created something rare in entertainment: a multigenerational artistic legacy. In January 2022, the duo celebrated nineteen years together on stage, a testament to family, talent, and dedication.
The show’s postponement on November 6th now carries poignant weight, as Kimmel navigated what he termed a “personal matter.” Today, we understand the depth of that pain—the impending loss of someone irreplaceable.
As Hollywood mourns, Kimmel’s final plea resonates: “Cherish your friends.” In Cleto Escobedo III, he cherished a brother, a collaborator, and a once-in-a-lifetime talent whose music will echo long after the applause has faded.
