Jimmy Kimmel's bandleader, and childhood friend, Cleto Escobedo III died on Tuesday morning, Kimmel announced on social media.

Escobedo, who led the band Cleto and the Cletones on Kimmel's show "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" was 59.

No cause of death was provided.

Cleto Escobedo attends as Keep Memory Alive hosts star-studded lineup at annual "Power Of Love" gala at MGM Grand Garden Arena on February 22, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images for Keep Memory Alive

"Early this morning, we lost a great friend, father, son, musician and man, my longtime bandleader Cleto Escobedo III," wrote Kimmel in an Instagram post on Tuesday. "To say that we are heartbroken is an understatement. Cleto and I have been inseparable since I was nine years old."

Kimmel continued, "

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