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Jimmy Kimmel delivered what he called the "hardest" monologue of his career as he tearfully paid tribute to his longtime friend and Jimmy Kimmel Live! bandleader, Cleto Escobedo III, who passed away on Tuesday at age 59.
Kimmel, 57, opened the show by reflecting on their decades-long friendship, describing Escobedo as "a great friend, father, son, musician and man." The two first met as children after Kimmel's family moved from Brooklyn to Las Vegas, where Escobedo lived just a few houses away. "He was a year older than me," Kimmel recalled. "Eventually we met and became friends — and not just regular friends. We became 24/7 'Mom, please let me sleep over' kind of friends."
Their bond only grew stronger over the years. Kimmel remembered how Escobedo's talent for music was evident early on, calling him "a phenomenal sax player" and "a child prodigy who would get standing ovations in junior high." Inspired by his father, Cleto Escobedo Sr., who had been a musician before giving up his career to raise a family, Escobedo Jr. followed in his footsteps, eventually performing with artists like Paula Abdul, Marc Anthony, and Philip Bailey.
When Kimmel was offered his late-night show in 2002, he said there was no question who would lead the band. "When you do a show like this, you need a desk, an announcer, and a band. Of course, I wanted Cleto to lead my band. The idea that anyone other than him would lead was terrifying. It had to be him," he told the audience.
Kimmel also wanted Escobedo's father to join the group. After the father-son duo performed "Pick Up the Pieces" by Average White Band during an audition for ABC executives, they secured the spot—and Cleto and the Cletones was born. "We've been working together every day for almost 23 years now," Kimmel said.
Fighting back tears, Kimmel told viewers that Escobedo's parents, Cleto Sr. and Sylvia, had been "like second parents" to him since childhood. "Everyone here at the show, we are devastated by this," he said, his voice breaking. "It's just not fair. 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 literally at my side for so many years."
Kimmel concluded his emotional tribute with a simple reminder: "Cherish your friends. We're not here forever."
