Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel is mourning an unthinkable loss.
His lifelong best friend and Jimmy Kimmel Live! bandleader, Cleto Escobedo III, has died at the age of 59.
“Early this morning, we lost a great friend, father, son, musician and man, my longtime bandleader Cleto Escobedo III. 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.”
A friendship that lasted a lifetime
Cleto wasn’t just part of the show, he was part of Kimmel’s life story. The two met as kids growing up in Las Vegas, bonding over music, mischief, and comedy.
In a past birthday tribute on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the host recalled their wild childhood memories:
“Cleto had a bicycle with a sidecar attached to it. We called it the side hack. I would get in the sidecar and then Cleto would drive me directly into garbage cans and bushes,” Kimmel joked.
The laughter didn’t stop there. The pair were inseparable teens who loved to prank people, sometimes a little too much.Continue reading…
