Cleto Escobedo III, the acclaimed saxophonist and longtime bandleader of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, has died at the age of 59. His death was announced Tuesday by his childhood friend and the show’s host, Jimmy Kimmel, who shared an emotional tribute on Instagram.
Cleto Escobedo III Obituary News
“Early this morning, we lost a great friend, father, son, musician and man, my longtime bandleader Cleto Escobedo III,” Kimmel wrote. “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.”
Escobedo had been quietly absent from the ABC late-night show for several months due to illness. According to production sources, Kimmel canceled a scheduled taping last week when Escobedo’s condition worsened.
A Las Vegas native, Escobedo grew up across the street from Kimmel. The two met as children, played in school bands together, and remained close as they pursued careers in entertainment. Kimmel often spoke about Escobedo’s musical gifts, recalling that their classmates would gather just to watch him perform. “He was a child prodigy,” Kimmel said in a 2015 interview. “He’d get standing ovations.”
When Jimmy Kimmel Live! premiered in 2003, Kimmel insisted that Escobedo lead the house band, later known as Cleto and the Cletones. Escobedo remained the show’s musical director for more than 20 years — an unusually long tenure in late-night television — providing live music, supporting visiting artists, and participating in on-air comedy bits.
Before his work on the show, Escobedo toured and performed with artists such as Paula Abdul, Marc Anthony, and Earth, Wind & Fire’s Phillip Bailey. He was skilled in alto, tenor, and soprano saxophone and became highly respected within the Los Angeles studio and performance scene.
Music was a family tradition. His father, Cleto Escobedo Jr., also a saxophonist, played alongside him in the Jimmy Kimmel Live! house band. The two performed shoulder-to-shoulder nightly — something Escobedo Jr. once described as “a great, great feeling” and one of the joys of his life.
Escobedo is survived by his wife, children, and extended family. Funeral details have not yet been publicly shared.
His passing leaves a profound void among fellow musicians, viewers, and the late-night community — but his warmth, talent, and laughter will continue to resonate in the music he helped shape and the memories he leaves behind.
