On Tuesday night, Jimmy Kimmel struggled to hold back tears as he honored his longtime friend and “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” bandleader, Cleto Escobedo III. The late-night host described the emotional monologue as the most difficult one he has ever had to deliver.
Escobedo, whom Kimmel remembered as an extraordinary “friend, father, son, musician and man,” passed away early that morning at the age of 59.
“We’ve been on the air almost 23 years, and I’ve done some tough monologues, but none like this,” said the 57-year-old host. “Late last night or early this morning, we lost someone incredibly special, someone far too young.”
Kimmel reflected on their decades-long bond, dating back to 1977 when his family moved from Brooklyn to Las Vegas. By chance, Escobedo lived just a few houses away in Spring Valley. “He was a year older. His name was Cleto, but we all called him Junior,” Kimmel said. The pair met while Kimmel was riding his bike — and from that moment, they became inseparable.
“We had sleepovers constantly,” he recalled, joking that he once slept at the Escobedo home for “33 nights in a row.”
Escobedo’s musical gift emerged early. “He was an incredible saxophonist even as a kid,” Kimmel said. “He was a prodigy — getting standing ovations in junior high, if you can imagine that.”
His talent came from his father, Cleto Escobedo II, who also performed in “Cleto and the Cletones.” The elder Escobedo had stepped away from his own career years before to focus on raising his family.
“So when Cleto Jr. started playing professionally, his dad was over the moon,” Kimmel said. “He got to see his dream fulfilled through his son, who began performing in bars and lounges all over Las Vegas.”
Escobedo’s career expanded as he worked with stars like Paula Abdul and later signed a record deal. Though the album didn’t take off — Kimmel noted that his friend “was a serious musician, not someone chasing pop stardom” — he continued performing with major artists such as Marc Anthony and Philip Bailey.
When ABC gave Kimmel his own late-night show in 2002, he immediately knew who he wanted to lead the band — and he insisted on bringing Cleto Sr. as well.
“In a show like this, you need certain things,” Kimmel said. “A desk, an announcer, a Guillermo — and a band. There was never a doubt in my mind that Cleto had to lead it. We grew up watching Dave Letterman and Paul Shaffer, and imagining anyone else in that role was unthinkable.”
The Escobedos and their musicians impressed ABC executives during a restaurant performance, winning over executive Lloyd Braun. With that, “Cleto and the Cletones” officially became part of late-night television history.
Kimmel concluded his monologue by reflecting on their incredible run together: “We’ve worked side by side every day for nearly 23 years.”
