Cleto Escobedo III, the band leader for “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and a close friend of the host, died Tuesday morning at the age of 59.
Kimmel shared the news in a post on social media, describing Escobedo as “a great friend, father, son, musician and man.”
“To say that we are heartbroken is an understatement,” Kimmel writes in the post. “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.”
The post on Instagram brought a wave of condolences from celebrities, including Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Eric Stonestreet, John Stamos, Johnny Knoxville, Howie Mandel, Randy Rainbow, Olivia Munn and Wanda Sykes.
The news of Escobedo’s death comes just days after Kimmel postponed taping of a show because of a “personal matter,” People reports. A cause of death for Escobedo has not been reported.
Variety reports Kimmel and Escobedo were childhood friends while growing up in Las Vegas, Nevada. Escobedo, a saxophonist, went on to form the band Cleto and the Cletones.
When “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” premiered in 2003, Kimmel asked Escobedo to be the show’s house band, Variety reports. Escobedo’s father also is a member of the band, People reports.
“I always thank him for this gig because he could have tried to get somebody that was established and would help the show more, being a bigger name or whatever,” Escobedo told ABC7 in a 2013 interview, according to Variety. “But he trusted me with this job and I’ve tried to do the best I can.”
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