Jimmy Kimmel’s lifelong friend and band leader Cleto Escobedo passes

Cleto Escobedo III, longtime bandleader of Jimmy Kimmel Live! and a lifelong friend of the comedian, has died at the age of 59, Jimmy Kimmel announced on Instagram Tuesday.

“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. Cherish your friends and please keep Cleto’s wife, children and parents in your prayers.”

Kimmel shared fond memories of their childhood, including mischievous pranks like riding a bicycle sidecar into garbage cans and bushes, shooting kites with a shotgun, and even playful antics in the back of Kimmel’s mother’s car.

“Cleto was a child prodigy,” Kimmel told ABC7. “The whole school would gather to watch. He’d get standing ovations. It was a crazy thing.”

Before joining Kimmel’s show, Escobedo toured with artists such as Earth, Wind & Fire and Paula Abdul and even had his own record deal.

Kimmel said having Cleto as his bandleader was essential. “I’ll tell you one thing. It had to have my band leader, Cleto. Of course I wanted great musicians, but I wanted somebody I had chemistry with. And there’s nobody in my life I have better chemistry with than him.”

The news follows a recent temporary postponement of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on November 6, previously attributed to a “personal matter” involving the host.

Escobedo’s contributions to the show and his lifelong friendship with Kimmel have left an enduring mark on both the program and those who knew him.