The sad news of Escobedo’s passing was shared by his lifelong friend, Jimmy Kimmel, who took to Instagram to express his grief. “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.”

The bond between Kimmel and Escobedo was profound, rooted in a friendship that spanned decades. Their journey from childhood friends to collaborators on a major television platform was a testament to their shared passion and mutual respect.

On Tuesday night, Kimmel opened his show with visible emotion, shedding tears as he paid tribute to his dear friend and colleague. It was a poignant moment that underscored the deep personal loss felt by the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” family and viewers alike.

Kimmel opened his show Tuesday night in tears.

“We’ve been on the air for almost 23 years and I’ve had to do some hard monologues along the way,” he said. “This one’s the hardest because late last night, early this morning, we lost someone very special, who was too young to go.”

He shared the story of how they met and became friends in Las Vegas growing up on the same block. 

“He loved me. He loved seeing all of this happen. He loved being a part of it. He never took it for granted. He would call me. He’d send me notes all the time, big stuff, little stuff, whatever. Tell me, ‘Oh, this was so funny. I love this. I’m so proud of you. I’m so happy that we get to be together all the time.’ He would tell me how lucky he was. He was just a great older brother. No baggage, all love. There’s no one in my life I felt more comfortable with,” Kimmel said. “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.”

No details about the musician’s cause of death were revealed.

Escobedo’s death comes days after “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” was postponed on Nov 6 due to a “personal matter” involving Kimmel. A rerun of an Oct. 28 episode aired during the time slot last week. 

PageSix reported Tuesday that Escobedo was hospitalized last week and that Kimmel had canceled the Thursday episode at the last minute “to be by Escobedo’s side.” He reportedly had complications stemming from a liver transplant, according to the outlet.

According to People, Cleto and the Cletones have served as the house band for “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” since the show’s premiere in 2003.

Kimmel and Escobedo were childhood friends, having lived across the street from each other in Las Vegas. The late-night show host dedicated a segment to Escobedo during his 50th birthday in 2016.