Cleto Escobedo III, the musician who lead the Jimmy Kimmel Live! house band, Cleto and the Cletones, has passed away.
His good friend, Jimmy Kimmel, shared the sad news on social media this week:
“Early this morning, we lost a great friend, father, son, musician and man, my longtime bandleader Cleto Escobedo III. To say that we are heartbroken is an understatement. Cleto and I have been inseparable since I was nine years old. The fact that we got to work together every day is a dream neither of us could ever have imagined would come true.”
Jimmy ended his message, “Cherish your friends and please keep Cleto’s wife, children and parents in your prayers.”
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On last night’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Jimmy once again shared words of love for his friend. With tears in his eyes, he said, “We’ve been on the air for almost 23 years, and I’ve had to do some hard monologues along the way – but this one’s the hardest.”
Jimmy explained how much Cleto meant to him and the entire team at the late show: “I mean, everyone loves Cleto. Everyone here at the show. We are devastated by this. It’s just not fair. He was the nicest, most humble, kind and always funny person.”
He explained how the pair were neighbours as kids and quickly became forever friends: “There is no one in my life I felt more comfortable with – he was the godfather to my son Kevin. We were the best men at each other’s weddings.”
No cause of death has been shared.
The show is currently taking a small break as Jimmy and the team mourn Cleto’s loss.
(Feature Image Credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
