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Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel announced Tuesday that he is taking the rest of the week off following the death of his best friend and the show’s bandleader, Cleto Escobedo III, also known as "Jr."

Kimmel gave an emotional tribute to his lifelong friend before revealing that he would take a short break from "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," where Escobedo's father also plays in the band.

"Cherish your friends, we’re not here forever," Kimmel said in his closing monologue. "Thank you for indulging me, we’re going to take the next couple of nights off. I wanted to be here tonight to tell you about my friend and Cleto loved Eddie Murphy, and he wouldn’t have wanted us to miss this."

JIMMY KIMMEL REVEALS HE NEVER THOUGHT HIS SHOW WOULD BE

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