{"id":2162721,"date":"2025-11-17T20:49:57","date_gmt":"2025-11-17T20:49:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2162721"},"modified":"2025-11-17T20:49:57","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T20:49:57","slug":"jimmy-kimmel-sister-jill-pays-tribute-to-late-cleto-escobedo-iii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/jimmy-kimmel-sister-jill-pays-tribute-to-late-cleto-escobedo-iii\/","title":{"rendered":"Jimmy Kimmel Sister Jill Pays Tribute to Late Cleto Escobedo III"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Jimmy Kimmel<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s sister, Jill Kimmel<\/strong>, shared a heartfelt tribute to Jimmy Kimmel Live!<\/em> bandleader Cleto Escobedo III<\/strong><\/a> following his death.<\/p>\n

\u201cI keep forgetting that you\u2019ve moved on from here\u2026but I\u2019ll never forget how much I loved you,\u201d Jill, 55, wrote via Instagram<\/a> on Sunday, November 16, alongside a snap from what appeared to be Escobedo\u2019s memorial. \u201cIt\u2019s been a beautiful life with you in it, Cleto. Rest well, my brother. \ud83d\udc94.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jimmy, 58, revealed last week that Escobedo, who was a childhood friend of his, died at the age of 59. Escobedo has been the leader of the late-night show\u2019s band, Cleto and the Cletones, since its 2003 premiere.<\/p>\n

\u201cEarly this morning, we lost a great friend, father, son, musician and man, my longtime bandleader Cleto Escobedo III,\u201d the late-night host wrote via Instagram<\/a> on November 11. \u201cTo 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\u2019s wife, children and parents in your prayers.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n Related: <\/span>Celebrities React to Death of Jimmy Kimmel\u2018s Bandleader Cleto Escobedo III<\/span><\/a>
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\n\t\t\tSeveral stars shared tributes to Jimmy Kimmel\u2019s longtime friend and Jimmy Kimmel Live! bandleader Cleo Escobedo III following his death at age 59. Kimmel took to Instagram on Tuesday, November 11, to reveal that Escobedo had died. \u201cEarly this morning, we lost a great friend, father, son, musician and man, my longtime bandleader Cleto Escobedo [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Escobedo\u2019s cause of death<\/a> was later revealed to be \u201ccardiogenic shock \u2026 with vasodilatory shock, disseminated intravascular coagulation and alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver as the underlying causes,\u201d per his death certificate obtained by TMZ.<\/p>\n

After sharing the news of Escobedo\u2019s death, Jimmy paid tribute to his late friend in an emotional monologue<\/a> on Jimmy Kimmel Live!<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a boy who lived on my block. \u2026 He was a little bit older than me. He was a year older than me. His name was Cleto,\u201d Jimmy said on November 11 while fighting back tears. \u201cEventually we met. We became friends \u2014 and not just regular friends. We became 24\/7 \u2018Mom, please let me sleep over, please\u2019 kind of friends. One summer I slept over at the Escobedo house 33 nights in a row, for real. My mother used to make me get down on my knees and beg to sleep at his house in front of him, and I would gladly do it, \u2019cause we were never bored.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jimmy shared that his and Escobedo\u2019s friendship continued through adulthood. When he was offered the opportunity to host his own late-night show, Jimmy wanted Escobedo by his side.<\/p>\n

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