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The cause of death for Cleto Escobedo III, a close friend of Jimmy Kimmel since childhood, was disclosed on Friday.
The death certificate of Escobedo, who served as the bandleader on Jimmy Kimmel Live, revealed that he passed away due to cardiogenic shock, as reported by TMZ.
Cardiogenic shock is a serious condition where the heart is unable to efficiently pump blood, resulting in insufficient blood supply to sustain life, as explained by the Cleveland Clinic.
Though cardiogenic shock was identified as the immediate cause of Escobedo’s death, there were several contributing health issues noted.
Escobedo had reportedly been dealing with cirrhosis of the liver, a condition linked to long-term alcohol consumption, where healthy liver tissue is replaced by scar tissue, hindering the organ’s proper function.
Other underlying causes of Escobedo’s death reportedly include vasodilatory shock and disseminated intravascular coagulation.
The cause of death for Jimmy Kimmel’s childhood friend Cleto Escobedo III was revealed on Friday. Escobedo’s death certificate indicated that the Jimmy Kimmel Live bandleader had died of cardiogenic shock, TMZ reported; Kimmel and Escobedo pictured together in 2012
Cardiogenic shock occurs when the heart fails to pump enough blood to the rest of the body to sustain life. Escobedo also had several underlying conditions that reportedly contributed to his death; pictured in 2016 on Jimmy Kimmel Live
Vasodilatory shock, also known as distributive shock, describes a condition in which blood vessels become too dilated, decreasing blood pressure and making it difficult for major organs, including the heart, brain and kidneys, to receive enough oxygen-rich blood to function properly.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, the condition, which can be caused by catastrophic infections and severe allergic reactions, is often fatal if not treated quickly.
Disseminated intravascular coagulation is a blood-clotting disorder. In the rare condition, clotting proteins created in the liver are produced in excess, creating blood clots that block blood supply to major organs.
In the second stage of the disorder, the body runs low on clotting proteins and the platelets that they bind with, causing uncontrolled bleeding throughout the body.
In addition to Escobedo’s primary and secondary causes of death, he was also reportedly dealing with several other contributing factors.
His death certificate reportedly indicated that he was battling sepsis, a condition in which the body’s immune response overreacts and attacks healthy tissue and organs, leading to widespread inflammation and potentially death.
Notably, several of the primary and underlying causes of death listed for Escobedo can be caused by sepsis or occur in conjunction with it.
Escobedo was also reportedly dealing with graft vs. host disease — in which transplanted stem cells begin to attack the body’s existing cells — chronic kidney disease and pneumonia.
Underlying causes of death for Escobedo were listed as alcoholic liver cirrhosis, vasodilatory shock and disseminated intravascular coagulation; pictured in March 2025 on Jimmy Kimmel Live
He also suffered from multiple contributing health conditions, including sepsis, graft vs. host disease, kidney disease, pneumonia and a compromised immune system; pictured in 2012 with Guillermo Rodriguez (L)
Kimmel broke down in tears when he spoke about his decades-long friendship with Escobedo during his monologue on Tuesday, November 11, following the saxophonist’s death earlier that morning
The bandleader was also listed as being immunocompromised at the time of his death.
According to Escobedo’s death certificate, his body was cremated.
The death certificate also reportedly noted that he had been a musician and entertainer for the past four decades.
Kimmel broke down in tears when he spoke about his decades-long friendship with Escobedo during his monologue on Tuesday, November 11, following the saxophonist’s death earlier that morning.
‘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,’ Kimmel, 57, said of Escobedo, who was the godfather to his son Kevin.
Kimmel continued: ‘Late last night, early this morning, we lost someone very special who was much too young to go — and I’d like to tell you about him, if you don’t mind.’
Kimmel praised Escobedo for treating everyone around him with kindness, which made him a favorite of his coworkers on the late-night talk show.
‘I mean, everyone loves Cleto,’ said Kimmel, who struggled to speak through his tears. ‘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.’
‘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,’ Kimmel, 57, said of Escobedo, who was the godfather to his son Kevin; pictured October 29 in LA
In the audience for Kimmel’s tearful monologue were Escobedo’s parents: his father, 82-year-old Cleto Sr. (L), who plays alto and tenor saxophones in the band his son had led, and his 80-year-old mother Sylvia; pictured in 2014
Kimmel (R) became best friends with Escobedo (L) after his family moved from Brooklyn to Las Vegas, with the two boy living across the street from each other
Kimmel told the audience that he fought to hire his longtime pal, with whom he used to analyze David Letterman’s relationship with his bandleader Paul Shaffer, as soon as he was hired to host the ABC series in late 2002.
Kimmel said he ‘wanted Cleto to lead’ the band, and ‘the idea that anyone other than him would lead the band was terrifying.’
In the audience for Kimmel’s tearful monologue were Escobedo’s parents: his father, 82-year-old Cleto Sr., who plays alto and tenor saxophones in the band his son had led, and his 80-year-old mother Sylvia.
Kimmel called the two his ‘second parents’ after having known them since he was a child growing up in Las Vegas across the street from the Escobedos.