Cleto Escobedo III Early Life.
At the age of 59, Cleto Escobedo III, the longtime leader of the in-house band Cleto and the Cletones on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, passed suddenly. On Tuesday, November 11, host Jimmy Kimmel posted the devastating news on social media and expressed his profound sadness over the passing of his old friend.
We lost my longtime bandleader, Cleto Escobedo III, an amazing friend, parent, son, musician, and human being early this morning, Kimmel said. It would be an understatement to say that we are devastated.
Kimmel said, “Cleto Escobedo and I have been inseparable since we were nine years old,” reflecting on their connection that has lasted for decades. Neither of us could have ever dreamed that we would be able to work together every day.
In closing, he asked followers to remember Cleto Escobedo and offer prayers for his parents, wife, and kids.
Growing up, Cleto Escobedo III became a gifted professional musician who was well-known for his saxophone prowess. Over the years, he recorded with well-known singers like Marc Anthony, Tom Scott, and Take 6 and toured with iconic performers like Philip Bailey and Paula Abdul of Earth, Wind & Fire.
Jimmy Kimmel requested Escobedo to lead the in-house band, Cleto and the Cletones, as soon as he started his ABC late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2003.
In a 2015 interview with WABC, Kimmel stated, “I obviously wanted great musicians, but I also wanted someone I had chemistry with—and I’ve never had better chemistry with anyone in my life than Cleto.”
Kimmel reminisced about their rambunctious upbringing together during a special on-air program in 2016 to commemorate Escobedo’s 50th birthday.
“Cleto rode a bike with a sidecar. It was once referred to as the “side hack.” Kimmel reminisced, “I would sit in the sidecar, and Cleto would push me straight into trash cans and bushes.”
Their friendship, which was based on mutual respect, humor, and loyalty, developed into one of the longest-lasting creative collaborations on television.
Cleto Escobedo’s death was announced soon after the Jimmy Kimmel Live! show on Thursday was abruptly canceled. Madison Beer, Joe Keery, and David Duchovny were scheduled to appear in that episode. Cleto Escobedo’s death date and cause are still unknown.
Cleto Escobedo’s family had a strong musical heritage. Cleto Escobedo Jr., his father, was a tenor and alto saxophonist in the house band of Jimmy Kimmel Live!. The father-son pair commemorated almost two decades of playing together on the show in January 2022.
Recalling how it all began Cleto Escobedo shared in a 2022 interview Jimmy asked me Who are we bringing into the band? and I told him My usual guys. He already knew them because even before he was famous he used to come and support me at gigs.
Sometimes I’d invite him and if he had nothing to do he’d come hang out. So he knew my people. Then he said Hey what about your dad? Wouldn’t that be amazing? And I said Yeah that would be incredible.
In the same interview, Cleto Escobedo reflected on how being a bandleader helped him balance his love for music with family life.Touring and all that stuff is fun, but it’s mostly a young man’s game, he said. Plus, it’s not ideal for family life.
After so many years of traveling, you realize how hard it is to leave your kids for long stretches. Sometimes they’re little, and by the time you come back, they’re suddenly talking — and you’re like, ‘Wait, what happened? Cleto Escobedo III is survived by his wife, Lori, and their two children.