Jimmy Kimmel<\/a> announced Tuesday that \u201cJimmy Kimmel Live!\u201d will pause for the remainder of the week following the death of Cleto Escobedo III,<\/a> the show\u2019s bandleader and Kimmel\u2019s childhood friend. Escobedo was 59.<\/p>\n Kimmel told viewers about the loss during an emotional monologue. \u201cWe\u2019ve been on the air for almost 23 years, and I\u2019ve had to do some hard monologues along the way, but this one\u2019s the hardest because late last night, early this morning, we lost someone very special who was much too young,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Kimmel and Escobedo\u2019s friendship spanned five decades. In an Instagram post<\/a> shared on Tuesday, Kimmel honored his dear friend. \u201cTo say that we are heartbroken is an understatement. Cleto and I have been inseparable since I was nine years old.\u201d <\/p>\n He added, \u201cThe fact that we got to work together every day is a dream neither of us could ever have imagined would come true.\u201d<\/p>\n Kimmel recalled that he met Escobedo in Las Vegas when he was 9 years old. When \u201cJimmy Kimmel Live!\u201d started, he hired Escobedo to lead the band and also brought Escobedo\u2019s father into the group.<\/p>\n \u201cI knew, \u2018My best friend from growing up plays the saxophone. He could lead the band,\u2019 wasn\u2019t a great pitch,\u201d Kimmel said. \u201cBut it had to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJimmy Kimmel Live!\u201d will reschedule appearances from Danny DeVito, Jason Bateman, Mr. T, Howard Jones, Debbie Gibson, and Susanna Hoffs.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone loves Cleto\u2026 everyone here at the show,\u201d Kimmel further said in his monologue. \u201cWe are devastated by this. It\u2019s not\u2026 It\u2019s just not fair. Cherish your friends. We\u2019re not here forever.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement<\/a> and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and\/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n![\"Obit](\"https:\/\/www.syracuse.com\/resizer\/v2\/YKPCRHNIY5DOVPSGY5CUL3ZEF4.jpg?auth=4d87fa2317ddd8e28be2d73468e3e252e4f65c183755493a5cf6617b4c18f16f&width=1280&smart=true&quality=90\")