The cause of death for Cleto Escobedo III, the longtime band leader on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and the late-night host’s childhood friend, has been confirmed.
Escobedo passed away on November 11, a loss that devastated not only his family but also the late-night host, who shared an emotional tribute on air.
“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," he said.
He continued: “Everyone loves Cleto... everyone here at the show. We are devastated by this. It's not… It's just not fair."
Cleto Escobedo III passed away. Credit: Ethan Miller / Getty
Cleto Escobedo Sr., the late musician’s father, who has also performed saxophone on the show, took the stage with the band that night, while Cleto’s mother sat in the audience.
Kimmel cancelled the next two tapings on November 12 and 13 to grieve with his team.
The host also posted a deeply personal message on Instagram, which read: “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," he added.
Cause of death
According to his death certificate obtained by TMZ, the 59-year-old died from cardiogenic shock.
The rare and life-threatening condition occurs when the heart suddenly can’t pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs.
Vasodilatory shock, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver were also listed as underlying causes.
Additional contributing conditions included sepsis, graft versus host disease, immunosuppression, chronic kidney disease, and pneumonia.
From child prodigy to late-night legend
Escobedo was more than just a bandleader - he was a music prodigy whose career began long before his television days.
Kimmel, who grew up with Escobedo on the same street in Las Vegas, once called him a “child prodigy” in an interview with ABC7.
Before joining Jimmy Kimmel Live! when it launched in 2003, Escobedo had toured with Earth, Wind, and Fire, Paula Abdul, and even had a record deal of his own. The TV host said he “had to have” Escobedo as his band leader.
In a 2021 featurette for ABC’s Hispanic Latinx Heritage Month, Escobedo reflected on how his father inspired his musical path: “I play sax because he played sax when I was a kid - my dad sacrificed a lot for me. He was a musician for many years, he was on the road a lot before I was born.
"And then when I started going to school, he quit playing just so he could be home with me and got a job as a busboy at Caesar's Palace and worked there for 30 years," he added.
Jimmy Kimmel and Cleto Escobedo III were childhood friends. Credit: Kevork Djansezian / Getty
The November 11 show went on with guest Eddie Murphy, a decision Kimmel said was in honor of Escobedo, who would’ve wanted it that way.
“He was the nicest, most humble, kind, and always funny person. There is no one in my life I felt more comfortable with," he told his audience.