{"id":2164670,"date":"2025-11-18T17:45:17","date_gmt":"2025-11-18T17:45:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2164670"},"modified":"2025-11-18T17:45:17","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T17:45:17","slug":"jimmy-kimmel-live-returns-after-bandleader-cleto-escobedo-iiis-death-house-band-renamed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/jimmy-kimmel-live-returns-after-bandleader-cleto-escobedo-iiis-death-house-band-renamed\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Jimmy Kimmel Live!\u2019 Returns After Bandleader Cleto Escobedo III\u2019s Death, House Band Renamed"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Jimmy Kimmel Live!<\/a> returned to ABC on Monday, November 17, following the death of host Jimmy Kimmel<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s longtime friend and the show\u2019s bandleader, Cleto Escobedo III<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Kimmel, 58, welcomed guests including Samuel L. Jackson<\/strong> and comedian Ms. Pat<\/strong> on Monday\u2019s program, which also saw the house band previously known as Cleto and the Cletones billed simply as The Cletones in the show\u2019s opening, per LateNighter.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The late night talk show host mourned the death of his childhood friend<\/a> on the November 11 episode of Live! before taking the rest of last week off<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Escobedo died on November 11 at age 59. According to a death certificate obtained by TMZ on Friday, November 14, Escobedo died from \u201ccardiogenic shock<\/a> as the immediate cause of death with vasodilatory shock, disseminated intravascular coagulation and alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver as the underlying causes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Who Is Cleto Escobedo? What to Know About Jimmy Kimmel\u2019s Late Friend and \u2018Live!\u2019 Bandleader<\/a><\/p>\n

During an emotional opening monologue last Tuesday, Kimmel remembered his friend through tears, noting that he\u2019s \u201chad to do some hard monologues\u201d on his talk show, \u201cbut this one\u2019s the hardest, because late last night, early this morning, we lost someone very special who was much too young to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Escobedo was the bandleader of Kimmel\u2019s house band since Jimmy Kimmel Live! premiered in January 2003. His father, Cleto Escobedo Sr.<\/strong>, is also part of the band.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted Cleto to lead my band. \u2026 The idea that anyone other than him would lead the band was terrifying. It had to be him,\u201d the comedian said in his tribute. \u201cI was so scared they would say no and I would have to have another band. I had to work up the nerve to bring it up. Because I knew [saying], \u2018My best friend from growing up plays the saxophone, he could lead the band,\u2019 wasn\u2019t a great pitch.\u201d<\/p>\n

Celebrities React to Cleto Escobedo III\u2019s Death: How Hollywood Honored Jimmy Kimmel\u2019s Bandleader<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cNot only did I want Cleto to lead the band, I wanted his dad to be in the band,\u201d Kimmel continued, noting that the Escobedos then auditioned for an ABC executive who quickly signed off on hiring them. \u201cWe\u2019ve been working together every day for almost 23 years now,\u201d Kimmel said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always said the single best thing about doing this show was getting the opportunity to allow Cleto Sr. to pick up where he left off in 1966 and become a musician again, with his son,\u201d Kimmel said. \u201cCleto Sr. and his mom, Sylvia<\/strong>, have been like my second parents since I was in the 4th grade. I\u2019ve known them 47 years and these people have never once yelled at me. Not one time. They are the best people.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just not fair,\u201d Kimmel said. \u201cHe was the nicest, most humble, kind and always funny person,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Kimmel announced Escobedo\u2019s death in an Instagram<\/a> post earlier on November 11.<\/p>\n

\u201cEarly this morning, we lost a great friend, father, son, musician and man, my longtime bandleader Cleto Escobedo III,\u201d he wrote. \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<\/div>\n