Jimmy Kimmel pays tribute to friend and show band leader Cleto Escobedo
Jimmy Kimmel delivered an emotional monologue Tuesday night following the death of his friend and “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” band leader Cleto Escobedo. Kimmel kicked off the episode in tears as he came out onstage.
Kimmel announced Escobedo’s death on social media earlier Tuesday, saying he was a “great friend, father, son, musician and man.” He was 59 years old.
Kimmel’s monologue
“We’ve been on the air for almost 23 years and I’ve had to do some hard monologues along the way, but this one’s the hardest because late last night, early this morning, we lost someone very special who was much too young,” Kimmel said during his monologue.
The late-night host said he’d known Escobedo since he was 9 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,” Kimmel wrote on Instagram. “Cherish your friends and please keep Cleto’s wife, children and parents in your prayers.”
During his monologue, Kimmel announced that his Wednesday and Thursday shows would be canceled, but said that his team went ahead with Tuesday’s show because Escobedo would not want them to miss an interview with Eddie Murphy.
“Everyone loves Cleto … everyone here at the show,” Kimmel said. “We are devastated by this. It’s not … it’s just not fair.”
Escobedo’s dad is also a member of the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” house band and performed during Tuesday night’s episode. Escobedo’s mother was in the audience.
Escobedo and Kimmel
Escobedo and Kimmel have been friends since childhood, a friendship that grew stronger when Escobedo joined Kimmel on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!.” When the show premiered in 2003, Kimmel took on the role of house band leader, a position he held until his death.
“Jimmy called and said, ‘Hey man, I think I’m going to have this show, do you want to be my band leader?’ Of course, I was like, ‘Yes,’ ” Escobedo said in a 2021 interview with ABC. “It’s been the best gig ever.”
Kimmel has also previously spoken about Escobedo’s role. “Of course, I wanted great musicians, but I wanted somebody I had chemistry with,” Kimmel said. “And there’s nobody in my life I have better chemistry with than him.”
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
