"Early this morning, we lost a great friend, father, son, musician and man, my longtime bandleader Cleto Escobedo III. 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."
"Kimmel met Escobedo in 1977 when Kimmel moved to Las Vegas from Brooklyn as a child. Besides shenanigans involving bike crashes and pranks, the two played music together, and Kimmel called Escobedo a 'child prodigy,' remembering how the 'whole school' would come to see him perform. Eventually, when Kimmel was building his team for his talk show, he brought Escobedo on board in 2003; Escobedo had previously considered leaving the music industry before Kimmel called."
Cleto Escobedo III died at the age of 59, with the news shared on November 11 via Instagram. Jimmy Kimmel described deep personal loss and noted a lifelong bond that began when they met in 1977 after Kimmel’s family moved to Las Vegas from Brooklyn. The two engaged in childhood pranks and played music together, with Escobedo remembered as a 'child prodigy' who drew school audiences. Escobedo joined Jimmy Kimmel Live! as bandleader in 2003 after considering leaving music; he recalled taking the role after a phone call and called it "the best gig ever."
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