Cleto Escobedo III, the saxophonist who led Jimmy Kimmel’s house band Cleto and the Cletones, has died at 59. Jimmy Kimmel paid tribute during his late-night monologue, thanking medical staff at UCLA Medical Center and describing Escobedo as a child prodigy on saxophone. Escobedo rose from a musical upbringing in Las Vegas to national visibility after touring with Paul Abdul in 1990 and joining Jimmy Kimmel Live! when it launched in 2003. His family, including his parents, wife and two children, were named among the survivors Kimmel asked viewers to hold in their thoughts.
Key Takeaways
- Cleto Escobedo III died at age 59; Jimmy Kimmel publicly mourned him during a Tuesday-night monologue, without disclosing a cause.
- Escobedo began studying saxophone in sixth grade and was described as a child prodigy who earned standing ovations in junior high school.
- He toured with Paul Abdul in 1990 and secured a record deal with Virgin Records; the solo project did not launch a sustained solo career.
- Escobedo performed with artists including Luis Miguel and Marc Anthony before becoming leader of Cleto and the Cletones.
- Cleto and the Cletones were hired as Jimmy Kimmel Live!’s house band when the show debuted in 2003; the group included Escobedo’s father.
- Kimmel thanked doctors and nurses at UCLA Medical Center for their care; hospital staff and medical details have not been publicly detailed.
Background
Escobedo grew up in Las Vegas in a musical household; his father worked professionally as a musician and there was an instrument at home that introduced young Cleto to the saxophone. He took up the instrument in sixth grade and developed quickly, later enrolling at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and playing in local bar bands that ranged stylistically from country covers to pop-rock material. In 1990 he passed an audition to tour with pop star Paul Abdul, a break that led to a recording opportunity with Virgin Records for a Latin-influenced pop/R&B project.
Although the Virgin Records project did not blossom into a mainstream solo career, Escobedo built a steady résumé as a sideman, appearing with Latin superstars such as Luis Miguel and Marc Anthony. His skill and versatility kept him working across genres, and when ABC launched Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2003, Kimmel hired Escobedo’s band, Cleto and the Cletones, as the program’s house band. The presence of Escobedo and his father on the same late-night stage became an identifying feature of the show’s music segment.
Main Event
On the show’s Tuesday-night monologue, Jimmy Kimmel announced Escobedo’s death and offered remembrance, visibly emotional as he described losing “someone very special, who was much too young to go.” Kimmel did not provide medical details but expressly thanked the doctors and nurses at UCLA Medical Center who cared for Escobedo. He also highlighted Escobedo’s career-long reputation for warmth, humility and humor among the show’s staff and guests.
Escobedo’s path from Las Vegas to national television was punctuated by early public recognition; Kimmel and others recalled that Escobedo regularly drew applause even as a school-age performer. After the Paul Abdul tour and the Virgin Records project in the early 1990s, Escobedo continued as a sought-after session and touring musician, the kind of adaptable player producers and headline acts relied on. Joining Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2003 provided a sustained platform: the Cletones performed nightly, backing the host and guest segments while also showcasing short musical features.
Colleagues and viewers noted the personal side of Escobedo’s presence on camera: he was often introduced with playful banter, and the on-air bandleader role blended musical leadership with television-side timing and personality. Kimmel asked the audience to remember Escobedo’s family and to “cherish your friends,” underscoring the immediate human loss behind the announcement.
Analysis & Implications
The death of a long-serving house bandleader affects both the program’s sound and its behind-the-scenes dynamics. House bands on nightly television provide continuity and aural identity; replacing a recognizable leader like Escobedo could prompt an on-air change in tone or the temporary use of substitute players. For Jimmy Kimmel Live!, which has relied on the Cletones since 2003, producers face decisions about musical direction and how to acknowledge Escobedo in future broadcasts.
Escobedo’s career also highlights the role of Latin and Latino musicians within mainstream U.S. pop and late-night television. His work with Latin superstars and his own blended pop-Latin recording project point to long-term cross-genre currents in American music. The visibility of Escobedo and his father as a father-son performing duo on a national stage also mattered symbolically for representation in media industries where on-screen family musical partnerships are rare.
Commercially, the practical impacts are modest — house bands rarely drive ratings on their own — but culturally, the loss removes a consistent nightly figure who contributed to the show’s personality. Industry peers may step forward with tributes, and memorial concerts or dedicated segments are possible ways that television and music communities often choose to honor a well-known sideman. Finally, the absence of a disclosed cause of death means public narratives will likely focus initially on memory and career rather than medical factors.
Comparison & Data
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1990 | Toured with Paul Abdul |
| Early 1990s | Signed brief record project with Virgin Records |
| 2003 | Cleto and the Cletones hired as Jimmy Kimmel Live! house band |
| 2025 | Escobedo died at 59; Kimmel paid tribute on air |
The timeline above highlights four documented benchmarks in Escobedo’s public career. These anchor points show an early commercial opportunity (1990), a widely known platform beginning in 2003, and the end of life in 2025. They illustrate how a working musician’s public profile can be shaped by a mix of touring, recording and steady television employment.
Reactions & Quotes
“Late last night, early this morning, we lost someone very special, who was much too young to go.”
Jimmy Kimmel, host
Kimmel used the monologue to express personal grief and to acknowledge medical staff at UCLA Medical Center; he framed the loss as both a private grief and a communal one for the show’s staff and viewers.
“Cleto was a phenomenal saxophone player from a very young age.”
Jimmy Kimmel, on-air
Kimmel and others have repeatedly pointed to Escobedo’s early talent, referencing standing ovations in junior high and his rapid rise through professional circles in Las Vegas and beyond.
Unconfirmed
- No official cause of death has been released publicly; medical details have not been confirmed by family or hospital sources.
- Reports that Escobedo and his father were the only father-son team on late-night television reflect their belief but have not been independently verified.
- Specifics about the Virgin Records project’s sales figures and chart performance were not provided and remain unconfirmed in public records cited in the report.
Bottom Line
Cleto Escobedo III’s passing marks the loss of a familiar and stabilizing musical presence on late-night television. His career—spanning studio work, high-profile tours and a two-decade run with Jimmy Kimmel Live!—exemplifies how versatile sidemen sustain popular music and television production even when they are not front-and-center stars.
In the short term, viewers can expect on-air remembrances and possible adjustments to the show’s musical lineup; in the longer term, Escobedo’s blend of Latin-influenced session work and nightly television visibility will be part of his professional legacy. For colleagues, family and fans, the immediate focus is on remembrance and support for his surviving relatives.
Sources
- NPR — News report summarizing on-air tribute and career highlights.