Jimmy Kimmel experienced a heart-wrenching evening as he honored the memory of Cleto Escobedo III, his childhood friend and bandleader, who passed away at the age of 59 on Tuesday.

“In nearly 23 years on air, I’ve delivered some tough monologues, but this one is by far the most difficult,” expressed Kimmel, 57, reflecting on the loss of Cleto, the godfather of his son Kevin.

Kimmel shared, “Late last night, early this morning, we lost someone incredibly dear and far too young. If you’ll allow me, I’d like to share a bit about him.”

Escobedo was cherished by his coworkers at the ABC late-night show, known for his kindness and warmth, Kimmel noted, adding that he would be stepping away for the remainder of the week to mourn his friend.

“Everyone adored Cleto,” Kimmel said, his voice thick with emotion. “Everyone here at the show is shattered by this loss. It’s just not fair. He was the kindest, most humble, and consistently funny person.”

Reflecting on the past, Kimmel revealed that when he was hired by ABC to host the late-night program in 2002, Cleto was one of the first people he thought of.

It was an emotional night for Jimmy Kimmel, as he paid memorial to his late bandleader Cleto Escobedo III following his passing. Pictured 2012 

Kimmel said that Tuesday’s monologue was the hardest he had to do in nearly 23 years 

‘One day in September 2002, I got a talk show – out of nowhere,’ Kimmel said. ‘And when you do a show like this, you need a few things.’

He continued: ‘You need a desk, you need an announcer, you need a Guillermo – and you need a band.’

Kimmel said he ‘wanted Cleto to lead’ the band, and ‘the idea that anyone other than him would lead the band was terrifying.’

Kimmel said he and Cleto had bonded watching David Letterman and his bandleader Paul Shaffer play off one another.

Said Kimmel: ‘We grew up watching Dave and Paul – it had to be him.’

Kimmel had Cleto’s father Cleto Sr., 82, (who  plays tenor and alto saxophones in his band); and mother Sylvia, 80, on hand on the emotional evening, calling them akin to ‘second parents’ since his childhood. 

‘This is a very tight family,’ Kimmel said of Cleto’s family. ‘This is the kind of family that when they aren’t together, they call each other four times a day – it’s a small, tight family.’

Kimmel said he first crossed paths with Cleto when his family moved from Brooklyn to Las Vegas, and his family ‘bought a house in a subdivision of Las Vegas called Spring Valley’

The late night host delivered an emotional memorial for his lifelong friend 

The late night host focused on the good times he shared with his late friend in a poignant monologue 

Kimmel had Cleto’s father Cleto Sr. (who plays in his band); and mother Sylvia on hand on the emotional evening 

Kimmel recalled that Cleto ‘lived across the street and two houses over,’ adding, ‘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.’

Kimmel recalled that one summer, he slept over at Cleto’s house ’33 nights in a row’ as they ‘were never bored’ and ‘were always up to something.’

Kimmel we called the fun times he had with Cleto as youths, consisting of ‘wiffle ball on the front lawn;’ ‘Nerf football in the street;’ dressing up as cowboys and setting ‘fire to Hot Wheels.’

Kimmel said other activities he enjoyed with his late friend included playing billiards; practical jokes and phony phone calls; and boxing one another.

‘We definitely gave each other many concussions!’ Kimmel said.

Kimmel said that Cleto smartened him up to the birds and the bees as best he could.

‘Cleto was very focused on sex from a young age,’ Kimmel said. ‘He knew everything about sex, and he taught me all of it. 

‘Now, half of everything he taught me was wrong – sometimes dangerously wrong, very wrong.’

Kimmel recalled: ‘Like, he told me it was impossible to get a girl pregnant in a jacuzzi because hot water deactivated the sperm- and that, by the way, is incorrect – don’t try that. But he knew a lot of stuff – and I wanted to hear all of it.’

Kimmel shared a childhood shot of his friend honing his musical chops at a young age 

Prior to working with Kimmel on the ABC show, Cleto made a living working with professional musicians such as Paula Abdul, Philip Bailey, Luis Miguel and Marc Anthony 

The late night host paid a warm memorial to his late friend on Tuesday

Tuesday’s tragic announcement came days after Kimmel canceled his broadcast on Thursday and was seen outside of a hospital in Los Angeles with Escobedo’s family and spouse Molly McNearney, 47, in a scene described to Daily Mail as ’emotional.’ 

Kimmel previously announced the tragic passing in an Instagram post on Tuesday. He told his 4 million followers that saying ‘that we are heartbroken is an understatement.’

Kimmel said, ‘Early this morning, we lost a great friend, father, son, musician and man, my longtime bandleader Cleto Escobedo III.’

Kimmel said he and Cleto had ‘been inseparable’ since the age of nine.

‘The fact that we got to work together every day is a dream neither of us could ever have imagined would come true,’ he said. ‘Cherish your friends and please keep Cleto’s wife, children and parents in your prayers.’

Cleto’s wife Lori, 49, told Daily Mail that ‘everything is not OK’ on Monday, while his musical colleague Jeff Babko, 53, said fears for Cleto’s heath had been ‘justified.’

Cleto is survived by wife Lori and two children.