Jimmy Kimmel mourns loss of lifelong friend and bandleader Cleto Escobedo.

Heartache struck late-night television as Jimmy Kimmel delivered a gut-wrenching tribute to his best friend and bandleader, Cleto Escobedo III, who passed away at the tragically young age of 59.

The emotional moment unfolded on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” during an opening monologue where Kimmel honored Escobedo, a talented musician and integral part of the show, after his passing earlier that day.

Let’s rewind to the beginning of a friendship forged in the dusty streets of Las Vegas, where Kimmel’s family landed after a cross-country move from Brooklyn in 1977.

Childhood bonds that lasted decades

Meeting as kids in Spring Valley, Kimmel and Escobedo, who lived just houses apart, became inseparable, with Kimmel even crashing at Escobedo’s place for over a month straight during sleepovers.

Escobedo, a year Kimmel’s senior and affectionately dubbed “Junior,” wasn’t just a buddy; he was a musical prodigy, blowing minds with his saxophone skills as early as junior high.

His talent wasn’t a fluke—it ran in the family, inherited from his father, Cleto Escobedo II, a saxophonist who shelved his own dreams to provide for his loved ones.

Musical talent takes center stage

Young Escobedo took that legacy and ran with it, becoming a professional musician who jammed in Vegas clubs and toured with big names like Paula Abdul and Marc Anthony.

Despite a shot at pop fame with a record deal, his true calling was jazz and R&B, where his soulful notes found their home, even if chart-topping stardom didn’t follow.

When Kimmel launched his late-night gig in 2002, no one questioned who would lead the band—Escobedo was the only choice, a decision as much about friendship as it was about talent.

Building a band with family ties

Kimmel didn’t stop there; he brought Escobedo’s father into the fold, giving a man who hadn’t played professionally in decades a chance to shine again alongside his son in “Cleto and the Cletones.”

“I’ve often said that the single best thing about doing this show was getting the opportunity to allow Cleto Senior to pick up where he left off in 1966 and become a musician again with his son,” Kimmel shared during his monologue.

That band, born from a spontaneous audition at a restaurant gig, won over network executives and became the heartbeat of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” for nearly 23 years.

A painful farewell to a friend

Fast-forward to the somber night of the tribute, where Kimmel, visibly shaken, faced his audience with Escobedo’s parents in the crowd, calling the monologue the toughest he’s ever delivered.

“Everyone loves Cleto. Everyone here at the show. We are devastated by this,” Kimmel said, his voice cracking with grief as he mourned a loss that felt profoundly unjust.

In a world obsessed with tearing down tradition for the sake of progressive agendas, this story cuts through the noise—a reminder of friendship, family, and hard-earned talent that doesn’t need a woke stamp of approval to matter. While Hollywood often peddles shallow narratives, Kimmel’s raw honesty about losing someone who stood by him through thick and thin hits harder than any scripted drama. Let’s hope this moment of genuine humanity isn’t drowned out by the usual cultural clamor.