NEED TO KNOW
\nJimmy Kimmel’s lifelong friend and Jimmy Kimmel Live! band leader, Cleto Escobedo, died on Nov. 11Jimmy said he was “heartbroken” to share the news of Escobedo’s death at 59Kimmel’s sister Jill shared a post of her own and paid tribute to Escobedo days after his death, writing, “It\u2019s been a beautiful life with you in it, Cleto”<\/p>\n
Jimmy Kimmel<\/a>‘s sister Jill is mourning the death of his lifelong friend<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n Cleto Escobedo<\/a>, who served as the band leader for Jimmy Kimmel Live!’s house band, Cleto and the Cletones, died on Tuesday, Nov. 11, Jimmy, 57, revealed in an Instagram<\/a> post that same day.\n<\/p>\n “Early this morning, we lost a great friend, father, son, musician and man, my longtime bandleader Cleto Escobedo III,” Jimmy wrote of Escobedo, who was 59. “To 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.”\n<\/p>\n On Sunday, Nov. 16, Jimmy’s younger sister Jill paid tribute to Escobedo with her own Instagram post<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n Jill shared a photo of what appeared to be a memorial for the band leader, as there was a framed photo of him, a wreath and lit candles. In the caption, she wrote, “I keep forgetting that you\u2019ve moved on from here.”\n<\/p>\n Jill Kimmel shares tribute to Cleto Escobedo.<\/p>\n Jill Kimmel\/Instagram<\/p>\n “But I\u2019ll never forget how much I loved you,” Jill wrote. “It\u2019s been a beautiful life with you in it, Cleto. Rest well, my brother. \ud83d\udc94.”\n<\/p>\n Jimmy hosted an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on the day Escobedo died, and he was in tears as he honored his longtime friend in what he called the “hardest” monologue<\/a> he’d ever delivered.\n<\/p>\n “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,” Jimmy said.\n<\/p>\n “Everyone loves Cleto… everyone here at the show,” he continued. “We are devastated by this. It’s not… It’s just not fair.”\n<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.\n<\/p>\n The Nov. 12 and Nov. 13 episodes of the show were canceled, and Jimmy said, “We’re going to take the next couple of nights off.” They hadn’t canceled the Nov. 11 episode, though, because he said Escobedo wouldn’t want them to miss interviewing guest Eddie Murphy<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n Jimmy Kimmel (left) and Cleto Escobedo III pose for a photo on the field before Game One of the 2024 World Series against the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium on October 25, 2024.<\/p>\n Maddie Meyer\/Getty<\/p>\n Following his death, Jimmy announced that he’d started two fundraisers in the musician’s honor<\/a>, as he said Escobedo “was always kind and eager to help others.”\n<\/p>\n \u201cAs we mourn his loss, we have started two fundraisers to celebrate his life and give back,\u201d he wrote in an Instagram post<\/a> on Nov. 14. \u201cThe first is for UCLA Medical Center<\/a> where he received such incredible care. Together we can help vulnerable patients and families in need of financial assistance during hard times.\u201d\n<\/p>\n The second fundraiser was in recognition of Escobedo’s “love of animals” and was for The Animal Foundation<\/a> \u201cin our hometown of Las Vegas,” Jimmy wrote.<\/p>\n