It was really sad to hear about the passing of Cleto Escobedo III, Jimmy Kimmel’s bandleader and a friend since childhood. He was 59. As a big fan of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, I watched Kimmel’s tribute to Cleto on the November 11th show – it was a beautifully personal story about their friendship. But it sounds like that wasn’t the only way Kimmel wanted to remember him; he’s also working on other ways to honor Cleto’s memory, which is really touching.
I was so heartbroken to hear about the passing of our bandleader, Escobedo. Jimmy Kimmel shared the news on Instagram, and he’s since let us know that he and the team have started two fundraisers to honor him. One will benefit the UCLA Medical Center, where he received care, and the other will support The Animal Foundation, a local Las Vegas charity that was important to both Jimmy and Escobedo. He shared a post about it on Instagram if you’d like to check it out.
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According to TMZ, Cleto and the Cletones’ founder died from cardiogenic shock, but several other health issues played a role. These included problems with blood clotting, low blood pressure, liver damage from alcohol, sepsis, a complication from a bone marrow transplant, a weakened immune system, chronic kidney disease, and pneumonia.
Jimmy Kimmel and Cleto Escobedo III were close friends since childhood, growing up as neighbors in Las Vegas. They both started pursuing their dreams around the same time – Escobedo formed a band, and Kimmel began his comedy career. When Kimmel got his own show on ABC, he wanted Escobedo’s band – and his father – to be the house band. They auditioned and got the job, as Kimmel shared in a recent online post.
Honestly, I mostly want to thank Cleto’s mom and dad, Sylvia and Cleto. They created this amazing person, and they were generous enough to share him with all of us. More than that, they always treated me like family – like one of their own sons – and I’ll always be grateful for that.
The news of Escobedo’s death on November 11th came just days after a scheduled taping of Live! was unexpectedly canceled. Initially, the cancellation was explained as a “personal matter,” and it’s not certain if this was related to Escobedo. This wasn’t the first time the show had been taken off the air this year; earlier, ABC suspended Live! for several days because of comments host Jimmy Kimmel made about conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.
As of today, the show Live! isn’t currently airing. Jimmy Kimmel announced on November 11th that production was paused following the death of Cleto Escobedo. Kimmel’s emotional tribute clearly showed how deeply affected he was by his friend’s passing. While Escobedo’s death is a loss, it’s wonderful to see his memory being honored through acts of charity.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on ABC amid the 2025 TV schedule.
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2025-11-15 20:08