{"id":15545,"date":"2025-11-12T08:34:49","date_gmt":"2025-11-12T12:34:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/jimmy-kimmel-breaks-down-in-tears-paying-20-min-tribute-to-late-bandleader-cleto-escobedo-iii-childhood-friend-of-50-years\/"},"modified":"2025-11-12T08:35:22","modified_gmt":"2025-11-12T12:35:22","slug":"51368-jimmy-kimmel-breaks-down-in-tears-paying-20-min-tribute-to-late-bandleader-cleto","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/51368-jimmy-kimmel-breaks-down-in-tears-paying-20-min-tribute-to-late-bandleader-cleto\/","title":{"rendered":"Jimmy Kimmel breaks down in tears paying 20-min tribute to late bandleader Cleto Escobedo III, childhood friend of 50+ years"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style='font-size: 1.1em;font-weight: 500;line-height: 1.6'><b>Jimmy Kimmel<\/b> delivered an emotional <b>20-minute monologue<\/b> honoring <b>Cleto Escobedo III<\/b>, his <b>childhood best friend<\/b> and bandleader. <b>Escobedo died on Nov. 11, 2025<\/b>, at age <b>59<\/b>. The pair had been inseparable since they were <b>9 years old<\/b>. Kimmel called it &#8220;the hardest&#8221; monologue he&#8217;s ever performed.<\/p>\n<div style='background-color: #f8f9fa;border-left: 4px solid #e74c3c;padding: 15px;margin: 20px 0'>\n<p style='margin: 0;font-weight: 600'>\ud83d\udd25 Quick Facts:<\/p>\n<ul style='margin: 10px 0 0 0;padding-left: 20px'>\n<li><b>Cleto Escobedo III<\/b> was bandleader for <b>Jimmy Kimmel Live!<\/b> since <b>2003<\/b><\/li>\n<li>Kimmel and Escobedo met as neighbors in <b>Las Vegas<\/b> as children<\/li>\n<li>Escobedo led <b>Cleto and the Cletones<\/b> for nearly <b>23 years<\/b> on the show<\/li>\n<li>Kimmel&#8217;s emotional tribute aired on <b>Tuesday, Nov. 11<\/b> during opening monologue<\/li>\n<li><b>Jimmy Kimmel Live!<\/b> took rest of week off to mourn<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2>A Friendship That Started in Las Vegas<\/h2>\n<p><b>Jimmy Kimmel<\/b> and <b>Cleto Escobedo III<\/b> became neighborhood friends in <b>Las Vegas<\/b>. Kimmel recalled sleeping at Escobedo&#8217;s house <b>33 nights in a row<\/b>. They were &#8220;<b>24\/7<\/b>&#8221; best friends who got into constant mischief together.<\/p>\n<p>The pair&#8217;s bond lasted over five decades. Kimmel explained how he brought his childhood friend onto his show after landing the gig in <b>2003<\/b>. His initial pitch sounded risky: &#8220;My best friend plays saxophone and could lead the band.&#8221; But the audition went perfectly.<\/p>\n<blockquote style='border-left: 4px solid #3498db;padding-left: 20px;margin: 20px 0;font-style: italic;color: #555'>\n<p>&#8220;We&#8217;ve been inseparable since I was nine years old. The fact we got to work together every day is a dream neither of us imagined would come true.&#8221;<\/p>\n<footer style='margin-top: 10px;font-style: normal;font-size: 0.9em'>\u2014 <b>Jimmy Kimmel<\/b>, Instagram post announcing Escobedo&#8217;s death<\/footer>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2>His Impact on Late-Night Television<\/h2>\n<p><b>Cleto and the Cletones<\/b> performed on <b>Jimmy Kimmel Live!<\/b> virtually every episode for <b>nearly 23 years<\/b>. Escobedo&#8217;s band became synonymous with the show&#8217;s opening. They performed during musical performances, comedy segments, and special episodes.<\/p>\n<p><b>Escobedo&#8217;s father<\/b> also performed in the band, making it truly a family affair. The musicians were instrumental in shaping the show&#8217;s vibe and energy. Escobedo was known for being professional, humble, and dependable.<\/p>\n<h2>Details on Cleto Escobedo III&#8217;s Life and Career<\/h2>\n<p><b>Cleto Valentine Escobedo III<\/b> was born on <b>Aug. 23, 1966<\/b> in <b>Las Vegas, Nevada<\/b>. Before joining <b>Jimmy Kimmel Live!<\/b>, he toured with performers like <b>Paula Abdul<\/b> and <b>Marc Anthony<\/b>. He specialized in jazzy, funk-influenced music.<\/p>\n<table style='width: 100%;border-collapse: collapse;margin: 20px 0'>\n<tr style='background-color: #f2f2f2'>\n<th style='border: 1px solid #ddd;padding: 12px;text-align: left'>Category<\/th>\n<th style='border: 1px solid #ddd;padding: 12px;text-align: left'>Details<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style='border: 1px solid #ddd;padding: 12px'><b>Full Name<\/b><\/td>\n<td style='border: 1px solid #ddd;padding: 12px'>Cleto Valentine Escobedo III<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style='border: 1px solid #ddd;padding: 12px'><b>Birth Date<\/b><\/td>\n<td style='border: 1px solid #ddd;padding: 12px'>Aug. 23, 1966<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style='border: 1px solid #ddd;padding: 12px'><b>Death Date<\/b><\/td>\n<td style='border: 1px solid #ddd;padding: 12px'>Nov. 11, 2025 (age 59)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style='border: 1px solid #ddd;padding: 12px'><b>Birthplace<\/b><\/td>\n<td style='border: 1px solid #ddd;padding: 12px'>Las Vegas, Nevada<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style='border: 1px solid #ddd;padding: 12px'><b>Role<\/b><\/td>\n<td style='border: 1px solid #ddd;padding: 12px'>Bandleader, saxophonist, musical director<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style='border: 1px solid #ddd;padding: 12px'><b>Band Name<\/b><\/td>\n<td style='border: 1px solid #ddd;padding: 12px'>Cleto and the Cletones<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style='border: 1px solid #ddd;padding: 12px'><b>Years on Show<\/b><\/td>\n<td style='border: 1px solid #ddd;padding: 12px'>2003 to 2025 (22+ years)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<p>Escobedo was beloved by everyone at <b>Jimmy Kimmel Live!<\/b> Kimmel called him &#8220;the nicest, most humble, kind and always funny person.&#8221; Those who worked with him said he was professional and a joy to work with.<\/p>\n<h2>What&#8217;s Next for Jimmy Kimmel Live!<\/h2>\n<p><b>Jimmy Kimmel Live!<\/b> canceled its remaining episodes for the week. The show typically tapes new episodes <b>four nights per week<\/b>. <b>Kimmel<\/b> had already cancelled Thursday&#8217;s taping to care for Escobedo as his health declined.<\/p>\n<p>The late-night community mourned Escobedo&#8217;s passing through social media. Fellow musicians, comedians, and celebrities shared tributes. Escobedo&#8217;s wife, children, and parents received condolences from everyone in the entertainment industry.<\/p>\n<p><b>Kimmel<\/b> urged viewers to &#8220;cherish your friends&#8221; during his monologue. He emphasized that &#8220;we&#8217;re not here forever.&#8221; The show plans to return with more episodes next week.<\/p>\n<h2>How Did You Remember Cleto Escobedo?<\/h2>\n<p>Watch <b>Jimmy Kimmel&#8217;s<\/b> complete tribute to his best friend below. The emotional monologue showcases decades of memories.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Jimmy Kimmel Remembers His Best Friend and Bandleader Cleto Escobedo III\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/0xlVAr6JZ9A?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Escobedo leaves behind his wife, children, and parents. His legacy lives on through the music he created and the people he touched. Fans of <b>Jimmy Kimmel Live!<\/b> will remember his infectious energy and extraordinary talent on stage.<\/p>\n<h3>Sources<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Variety<\/b> &#8211; Jimmy Kimmel&#8217;s complete tribute monologue and death announcement<\/li>\n<li><b>ABC News<\/b> &#8211; Coverage of Cleto Escobedo III&#8217;s death and impact on the show<\/li>\n<li><b>USA Today<\/b> &#8211; Interview and background on their childhood friendship in Las Vegas<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":15544,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"schema_org_data":"{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Jimmy Kimmel\",\"image\":\"https:\/\/image.tmdb.org\/t\/p\/w500\/wVVvvIwDtCgArdp0fsmjcM2tYyr.jpg\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.themoviedb.org\/person\/78303\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Cleto Valentine Escobedo 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