Copyright Staten Island Advance
Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel announced the death of his longtime bandleader Cleto Escobedo III, who died Monday at age 59, E! News reported. Escobedo served as the bandleader on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” since the late-night talk show’s debut in 2003. Kimmel shared news of his longtime friend’s death on Instagram. He did not reveal a cause of death. “Early this morning, we lost a great friend, father, son, musician and man, my longtime bandleader Cleto Escobedo III,” Kimmel wrote. “To say that we are heartbroken is an understatement.” Kimmel, 57, described a friendship that extended beyond a professional relationship, as the two had been friends since 1977, the report said. “Cleto and I have been inseparable since I was nine years old,” Kimmel said. “The fact that we got to work together every day is a dream neither of us could ever have imagined would come true.” Escobedo formed the band in 1995, playing the alto, tenor and soprano saxophones. Other members of the group include his father, Cleto Escobedo Sr., according to Entertainment Weekly. Outside of his regular gig on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” Cleto and the Cletones toured with Paula Abdul, Marc Anthony, and Earth, Wind & Fire’s Philip Bailey. Kimmel went on to ask for support for Escobedo’s family. “Cherish your friends,” he wrote, “and please keep Cleto’s wife, children and parents in your prayers.”
