Jimmy Kimmel Live! lost a friend and colleague in house bandleader Cleto Escobedo III . The Cleto and the Cletones saxophone player , who was also Jimmy Kimmel ‘s best friend growing up, died at age of 59 on November 11, 2025. The late-night host delivered an emotional tribute to Escobedo later that day, thanking doctors and nurses for taking care of the late musician over “these awful few months.” Kimmel’s comment prompted questions among viewers, who wondered whether Escobedo was battling a health issue before his death.

“We’ve been on the air for almost 23 years, and I’ve had to do some hard monologues along the way,” Kimmel said in tears. “This one’s the hardest because late last night, early this morning, we lost someone very special who was too young to go.”

Kimmel an

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