Sometimes the soundtrack of a show is really the soundtrack of a friendship. Cleto Escobedo III, the sax-playing soul of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” has died at 59—and late night feels quieter tonight. The news broke with Jimmy’s trembling voice and tearful eyes. Fans suddenly understood why last week’s show was postponed. A celebration of cheaper medicine became a story about love, music, and loss.
Jimmy and Cleto weren’t just coworkers. They were kids from the same street, pranksters who grew into professionals, then into a nightly duet of jokes and jazz. When the show launched in 2003, Jimmy didn’t just want a great bandleader. He wanted his bandleader. “We’ve been inseparable since I was nine,” he shared. That chemistry—easy, warm, a little mischievous—kept America company for two decades.
The tribute was raw. Jimmy called Cleto a devoted husband to Lori and proud dad to Jesse and Cruz. He reminded us Cleto toured with legends and brought his father on stage, turning work into family. Plans shifted; episodes were canceled. But the story that lingered wasn’t TV logistics—it was friendship. “Everyone loves Cleto,” Jimmy said, voice breaking. You could feel the room believe it.
In a world that moves too fast, this moment asked us to hold our people close. The laughter will return. The music will too—changed, softer around the edges. But every time the band kicks in, we’ll hear a note of Cleto—steady, generous, unmistakably kind.
