Cleto Escobedo III, the beloved Jimmy Kimmel Live! bandleader of Cleto and the Cletones, died on November 11, 2025. He was 59. Jimmy Kimmel was the one to break the news in a heartbreaking statement, encouraging others to “cherish your friends and please keep Cleto’s wife, children and parents in your prayers.” Days later, Escobedo’s cause of death was revealed.
“Early this morning, we lost a great friend, father, son, musician and man, my longtime bandleader Cleto Escobedo III,” Kimmel wrote via Instagram alongside a picture of Escobedo on stage. “To say that we are heartbroken is an understatement. Cleto and I have been inseparable since I was 9 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.”
Below, learn about Cleto and what happened to the beloved bandleader from Kimmel’s show.
What Happened to Cleto Escobedo?
Kimmel did not elaborate on what happened to his friend and bandleader, Escobedo. However, Page Six reported that Escobedo had complications from a liver transplant.
How Did Cleto Escobedo Die?
Escobedo died from cardiogenic shock, with vasodilatory shock, disseminated intravascular coagulation and alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver as underlying causes, according to a death certificate obtained by TMZ on November 14. The outlet reported that the late musician’s heart could not pump enough blood for him to survive.
In Kimmel’s initial announcement, he only noted that Escobedo died on the morning of November 11, 2025, and he paid tribute to his friend throughout the entire Jimmy Kimmel Live! episode.
What Did the Cletones Say About Cleto’s Death?
The band, which also consists of Escobedo’s father, Cleto Escobedo Sr., Jeff Babko, Toshi Yanagi, Jimmy Earl and Jonathan Dresel, has not publicly addressed their lead musician’s death at the time of publication.
How Long Did Jimmy Kimmel & His Bandleader Cleto Know Each Other?
As previously noted, Kimmel and Escobedo have known each other since they were kids. The late saxophone player grew up near the comedian in Las Vegas.
Calling Escobedo a “child prodigy,” Kimmel recalled his friend’s immense talent back in 2015. “Like, the whole school would gather to watch. He’d get standing ovations. It was a crazy thing,” Kimmel said in 2015, per ABC7.
Since Escobedo became a professional musician and went on to tour with talent such as Earth, Wind and Fire, Paula Abdul and Marc Anthony. This, in turn, helped him land his spot on Kimmel’s late-night talk show in 2003.
“And I just thought, oh my God, you know? I have a talk show. Cleto has to be my bandleader,” Kimmel previously said, per ABC7, while remembering how “nervous” he was if Disney told him, “We don’t want your friend to be the bandleader.”
“So, I took the president of ABC to see him play with his band, and he loved it,” Kimmel said. “Of course I wanted great musicians, but I wanted somebody I had chemistry with. And there’s nobody in my life I have better chemistry with than him.”