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Jimmy Kimmel Shares Tearful Tribute to Friend and Band Leader Cleto Escobedo III: ‘It’s Just Not Fair’
Jimmy Kimmel broke down in tears during an emotional monologue on Jimmy Kimmel Live! as he paid tribute to his lifelong friend and bandleader, Cleto Escobedo III, who passed away earlier that day.
“We’ve been on the air for almost 23 years and I’ve had to do some hard monologues along the way,” Kimmel began, visibly emotional. “But this one’s the hardest because late last night, early this morning, we lost someone very special who was too young to go.”
Kimmel and Escobedo’s friendship began when they were kids growing up in Las Vegas. The host fondly recalled their adventures, inside jokes and lifelong bond. “We had so many adventures. We laughed so hard. We had our own language that almost no one else understood,” Kimmel shared. “We didn’t have to say anything. We’d sit here at rehearsal every day… I knew he was thinking about looking at me, and I was thinking about looking at him. We look at each other like this, and that would be it.”
Kimmel reminisced about their shared love of David Letterman and how surreal it was to appear on The Late Show for the first time in 1999. He praised Escobedo as a “child prodigy” on the saxophone, noting that his musical talent led him to tour with Paula Abdul before joining Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2003.
When Kimmel landed his late-night gig, he knew he wanted Escobedo by his side. He also shared how meaningful it was to reunite Escobedo with his father — both of whom played in the show’s band. “The single best thing about doing this show was getting the opportunity to bring Cleto and his dad together in a band,” Kimmel said. “Everyone loves Cleto. Everyone here at the show — we are devastated by this. It’s just not fair. He was the nicest, most humble, kind, and always funny person.”
Kimmel managed to add a touch of humor amid his grief, recalling that his friend “loved to show his ass to others,” keeping up the playful mooning tradition from their childhood.
“Even though I’m heartbroken to lose him, I’m going to take yet another lesson from him and acknowledge how lucky I was to have him at my side for so many years,” Kimmel said, before announcing the show would take a short break.
Earlier that day, Kimmel also shared a heartfelt Instagram post, calling Escobedo “a great friend, father, son, musician, and man.” He added, “Cherish your friends and please keep Cleto’s wife, children, and parents in your prayers.”
In his monologue, the late night host also shared that he’d be taking “the next couple of nights off” to grieve.
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