Since the inception of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in 2003, Cleto Escobedo III has been a central figure, leading the show’s house band, Cleto and the Cletones, with his musical prowess.
LOS ANGELES — The cause behind the unfortunate passing of Cleto Escobedo III, the cherished bandleader for “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, has now been confirmed. The 59-year-old passed away on Tuesday, as indicated on his death certificate.
Escobedo’s death was attributed to cardiogenic shock, a critical condition where the heart fails to circulate enough blood throughout the body. The death certificate, obtained by TMZ, also mentioned underlying health issues such as vasodilatory shock, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver. His death occurred at UCLA Medical Center following complications from a liver transplant, as reported by Rolling Stone.
Further medical complications noted on the certificate included sepsis, graft-versus-host disease, immunosuppression, chronic kidney disease, and pneumonia.
Jimmy Kimmel paid a heartfelt tribute to his long-time friend and colleague on Instagram, expressing his sorrow over the loss. “Cleto and I have been inseparable since I was nine years old,” Kimmel reflected. “Working together every day was a dream come true for both of us.”
“Cleto and I have been inseparable since I was nine years old,” Kimmel wrote. “The fact that we got to work together every day is a dream neither of us could ever have imagined would come true.”
During Tuesday’s show, Kimmel delivered a tearful eulogy for his friend and thanked doctors and nurses at UCLA Medical Center “for taking incredibly good care of him” and the team at Sherman Oaks Hospital “that initially took him in.”
“There’s no one in my life I felt more comfortable with,” Kimmel said Tuesday. “There were thousands of houses for sale in Vegas. My parents happened to buy one that was right across the street from this kid that I would just fit together with so perfectly.”
Escobedo had led the show’s house band, Cleto and the Cletones, since the program’s debut in 2003. He performed alongside his father, Cleto Escobedo Jr., creating a rare father-son partnership in late-night television.
Before joining Kimmel’s show, Escobedo toured as a saxophonist with Paula Abdul and recorded studio albums. He also worked with Marc Anthony, Earth, Wind & Fire’s Philip Bailey and other prominent artists.
The Las Vegas native met Kimmel when Kimmel’s family moved across the street from his in 1977. Their friendship spanned nearly five decades.
Kimmel took the rest of this week off from his ABC talk show. He announced plans to establish a fund for the medical team that cared for Escobedo and for The Animal Foundation in Las Vegas in honor of his late friend’s love of animals.
Escobedo is survived by his wife, Lori, and their two children, Cruz and Jesse.
