Jimmy Kimmel announced Tuesday that “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” will pause for the remainder of the week following the death of Cleto Escobedo III, the show’s bandleader and Kimmel’s childhood friend. Escobedo was 59.
Kimmel told viewers about the loss during an emotional monologue. “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.
Kimmel and Escobedo’s friendship spanned five decades. In an Instagram post shared on Tuesday, Kimmel honored his dear friend. “To say that we are heartbroken is an understatement. Cleto and I have been inseparable since I was nine years old.”
He added, “The fact that we got to work together every day is a dream neither of us could ever have imagined would come true.”
Kimmel recalled that he met Escobedo in Las Vegas when he was 9 years old. When “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” started, he hired Escobedo to lead the band and also brought Escobedo’s father into the group.
“I knew, ‘My best friend from growing up plays the saxophone. He could lead the band,’ wasn’t a great pitch,” Kimmel said. “But it had to happen.”
“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” will reschedule appearances from Danny DeVito, Jason Bateman, Mr. T, Howard Jones, Debbie Gibson, and Susanna Hoffs.
“Everyone loves Cleto… everyone here at the show,” Kimmel further said in his monologue. “We are devastated by this. It’s not… It’s just not fair. Cherish your friends. We’re not here forever.”
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