Jimmy Kimmel is grieving the loss of one of his closest friends and colleagues, Cleto Escobedo III . The longtime Jimmy Kimmel Live! bandleader and saxophonist, who had been with the show since it premiered in 2003, died at age 59 on November 11, 2025.

Shortly after, Kimmel shared a heartbreaking message on Instagram honoring his friend. He wrote, “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. Cherish your friends and please keep Cleto’s wife, children and parents in your prayer

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