Cleto Escobedo III death at 59 has left a hole not just in late-night TV, but in the heart of Jimmy Kimmel himself. The beloved bandleader — and Kimmel’s childhood friend since age nine — passed away on November 11, 2025, sparking an outpouring of grief from Hollywood and beyond. For fans who’ve watched Jimmy Kimmel Live! for years, this one hurts a little deeper.
The Music Never Sounded the Same Without Cleto Escobedo III
If you’ve ever tuned into Jimmy Kimmel Live! — and let’s be honest, who hasn’t at least once? — You know that easy, joyful energy that opened the show every night. That was Cleto Escobedo III.
He wasn’t just the guy behind the saxophone or the band cue. He was part of the show’s heartbeat — always flashing that grin, ready with a riff or a quick musical jab to match Kimmel’s humor.
As People reported, Cleto led the show’s in-house band, Cleto and the Cletones, from the very beginning in 2003. It wasn’t just a gig — it was a lifelong collaboration that started decades before Hollywood ever called.
Because Cleto wasn’t some hired hand. He was family.
When Jimmy Kimmel announced his death on Instagram, the late-night host wrote that Cleto was “a great friend, father, son, musician, and man.” He added, “We’ve been inseparable since I was 9 years old.” You could feel the weight of those words — decades of friendship distilled into heartbreak.
Sometimes, the hardest losses are the ones that come with laughter still echoing in the room.
From Las Vegas Kids to Hollywood Legends
Before the fame, the lights, or the cue cards, there were two kids on a Las Vegas block — Jimmy Kimmel and Cleto Escobedo III. They lived across the street from each other, spending their days talking music, mischief, and big dreams.
And somehow, they made good on those dreams together.
When Kimmel finally got his late-night show, no question would lead the band. It had to be Cleto. It was a move that made Jimmy Kimmel Live! feel different from the rest — a little more real, a little more homegrown.
Even better? Cleto Sr., his father, joined the band too. It became a three-decade friendship turned family business, all played out live in front of America every night.
It’s rare to see that kind of loyalty in Hollywood. But for Kimmel and Cleto, it wasn’t about contracts. It was about history — and heart.
A Career That Touched More Than One Stage
Before late-night TV, Cleto Escobedo III had already built a reputation as one of the most respected saxophonists in the business.
As AP News noted, he toured and performed with major stars — Paula Abdul, Marc Anthony, and Phillip Bailey of Earth, Wind & Fire, just to name a few. His sound carried soul and swagger in equal measure.
But ask anyone who knew him, and they’ll tell you it wasn’t just the music. It was his presence. He had that rare ability to make a green room feel like a living room — cracking jokes, hyping others up, and always grounding the moment in joy.
It’s easy to forget how much energy one person brings into a space — until they’re gone.
The Sudden Loss That Shook Jimmy Kimmel Live!
When Jimmy Kimmel Live! abruptly canceled its November 11 taping — the one set to feature David Duchovny, Joe Keery, and Madison Beer — fans immediately sensed something was wrong.
At the time, ABC cited a “personal matter.” Hours later, the truth emerged.
Kimmel’s emotional tribute hit Instagram like a gut punch to anyone who’d watched their on-screen chemistry. It wasn’t just an entertainer losing a colleague; it was a man losing his best friend — the person who’d stood next to him for nearly every professional milestone of his life.
The show has since gone dark for a short hiatus as production pauses to regroup. And while the studio lights may flicker back on soon, something essential will always be missing.
Sometimes, silence really does say more than a monologue ever could.
The Cause of Death Remains Private — But the Grief Is Public
As People confirmed, no cause of death has yet been shared publicly. What’s clear, though, is the depth of emotion pouring in from fans, peers, and the late-night community.
Celebrities from across the entertainment world have been sharing tributes online, describing Cleto as “warm,” “wickedly funny,” and “the glue of the room.”
And it tracks. Cleto’s smile was as much a part of Jimmy Kimmel Live! as the desk or the bandstand. Even through the screen, you could feel the ease he brought — like he was letting viewers in on the joke.
His legacy, much like his sound, lingers.
A Family of Music, and a City That Raised Them
Cleto Escobedo III leaves behind his wife, Lori, and two children — along with his father, Cleto Sr., who shared the JKL! stage with him for years.
It’s rare enough to see one Escobedo light up national TV every night. Seeing two, side by side — a father-and-son duo bringing brass and soul to late-night — was the kind of thing that made Jimmy Kimmel Live! quietly iconic.
They reminded us that success doesn’t have to be lonely, and that music can literally be a family affair.
Now, as tributes flood in from fans and old friends back in Las Vegas, there’s a sense that this loss hits beyond Hollywood. It’s one of those “you don’t have to know him to miss him” moments.
Because sometimes, you just know when someone was the real deal.
The Beat Goes On
For over two decades, Cleto Escobedo III made late-night television feel alive — not polished, not pretentious, just purely human. He was the warmth that came through between commercial breaks, the laugh behind the camera, the music that made every punchline land softer.
And though the stage lights will dim and the music will fade, his rhythm remains. In every laugh Jimmy Kimmel cracks, in every fan who hums that familiar intro, Cleto’s spirit hums along quietly — still playing, still smiling.
In a city full of noise, his sound somehow made it all feel like home.
Mohit Wagh is the co-founder and feature writer at The Graval, bringing 10 years of experience in celebrity and pop culture reporting. He crafts engaging, fact-driven stories that capture the pulse of what’s trending across Hollywood and beyond.