Heartfelt Goodbye: Jimmy Kimmel Breaks Down in Tears Honoring Late Friend and Bandleader Cleto Escobedo III

Jimmy Kimmel opened Tuesday night’s episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” with a touching tribute to his longtime friend and bandleader Cleto Escobedo III, who passed away earlier that day at the age of 59.

The host struggled to hold back tears as he shared memories of their friendship that began in childhood.

“We’ve been on the air for almost 23 years, and I’ve had to do some hard monologues along the way,” Kimmel said, crying. “But this one’s the hardest because late last night, early this morning, we lost someone very special who was much too young to go, and I’d like to tell you about him, if you don’t mind.”

Photos from Kimmel and Escobedo’s childhood in Las Vegas appeared on screen while Kimmel spoke. Escobedo’s parents, who were in the audience, were visibly moved. His father is also a member of Kimmel’s band.

Kimmel shared stories about how close he and Escobedo were growing up. “There was a boy who lived on my block. He lived across the street and two houses over. He was a little over a year older than me. His name was Cleto, but we all called him junior,” Kimmel said.

“Eventually, we met and became friends. And not just regular friends. We became 24/7, ‘Mom, please let me sleep over, please,’ kind of friends. One summer, I slept over at the Escobedo house 33 nights in a row. My mother used to make me get down on my knees and beg to sleep at his house in front of him. And I would gladly do it, because we were never bored. We were always up to something.”

Kimmel also talked about how Escobedo became the bandleader for “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in 2003. “My best friend from growing up plays the saxophone, he could lead the band,” Kimmel said, remembering how his pitch sounded.

Despite the unusual introduction, Escobedo and his father auditioned with the song “Pick Up the Pieces” by Average White Band, and Kimmel said, “Lloyd saw it. He saw the father and son. He said, ‘I love it!’ And he got up and left. And we’ve been working together every day for almost 23 years.”

Kimmel said everyone at the show was heartbroken over the loss. “It’s just not fair. He was the nicest, most humble, kind and always funny person,” he said. He also told the audience that the show would take a couple of nights off in honor of Escobedo.

Earlier this week, Kimmel had to cancel Thursday’s episode when Escobedo’s health suddenly worsened. The host shared the news of Escobedo’s death on Instagram, writing, “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. Cherish your friends and please keep Cleto’s wife, children and parents in your prayers.”

Tuesday’s show had an ’80s theme and included guests like Eddie Murphy, Morgan Fairchild, and musical act Men at Work. But Kimmel made sure the spotlight was on his friend, sharing memories of a lifelong bond that went far beyond the stage.

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