Cleto Escobedo III, the bandleader for ABC\u2019s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, has died.<\/p>\n
Escobedo died early Tuesday, Kimmel wrote in an Instagram post<\/a>. He was 59.<\/p>\n More from The Hollywood Reporter<\/p>\n \u201cEarly this morning, we lost a great friend, father, son, musician and man, my longtime bandleader Cleto Escobedo III,\u201d Kimmel wrote. \u201cTo say that we are heartbroken is an understatement.\u201d<\/p>\n Escobedo and his band, Cleto and the Cletones, have been part of Jimmy Kimmel Live! since its debut in 2003. He and the host went back much further than that, however: They were neighbors growing up in Las Vegas, and Kimmel wrote that he and Escobedo have been \u201cinseparable 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 Escobedo was born Aug. 23, 1966, in Las Vegas. His father, Cleto Escobedo Jr., is also a musician (and a member of the Cletones) who played saxophone for Los Blues, a 1960s rock\/soul band. After graduating high school and briefly attending the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Escobedo joined the band Santa Fe, then got a big break as part of Paula Abdul\u2019s touring band.<\/p>\n He formed the Cletones in 1995 with guitarist Toshi Yanagi, bassist Jimmy Earl, keyboard player Jeff Babko and drummer Jonathan Dresel. His father joined the band when they became part of Jimmy Kimmel Live!.<\/p>\n When Escobedo turned 50 in 2016, Kimmel looked back on their friendship, which started when Kimmel and his family moved to Las Vegas in 1977. \u201cWe began a lifetime of friendship that was highlighted by the kind of torture that only an older brother can inflict on you without being arrested,\u201d Kimmel joked<\/a>, recalling times that Escobedo would put Kimmel in the sidecar of his bike and \u201cdrive me directly into a garbage can\u201d along with other antics.<\/p>\n In addition to Abdul, Escobedo toured with Earth, Wind and Fire\u2019s Philip Bailey and Marc Anthony and played a number of TV commercials.<\/p>\n Kimmel will address his friend and bandleader\u2019s passing on Tuesday\u2019s show.<\/p>\n Best of The Hollywood Reporter<\/p>\n Sign up for THR’s Newsletter<\/a>. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n