Cleto Escobedo III, the bandleader of Cleto and the Cletones on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and the host’s lifelong friend, has died. He was 59 years old.
“Early this morning, we lost a great friend, father, son, musician and man, my longtime bandleader Cleto Escobedo III,” Kimmel wrote Tuesday on Instagram. “To say that we are heartbroken is an understatement. Cleto and I have been inseparable since I was 9 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.
“Cherish your friends and please keep Cleto’s wife, children and parents in your prayers.”
Escobedo and his band have been with the late night talk show since its premiere in 2003. His father, Cleto Escobado Sr., also plays saxophone in the band.
“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” postponed its show suddenly on Friday for a “personal matter,” according to Entertainment Weekly.
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