Cleto Escobedo III, renowned for leading the house band on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, known as Cleto and the Cletones, has passed away. His close childhood friend and longtime colleague, Jimmy Kimmel, shared the sad news on Instagram, though he did not disclose the cause of death. Escobedo was 59 years old.

“We lost a wonderful friend, father, son, musician, and person early this morning, my longtime bandleader Cleto Escobedo III,” Kimmel expressed on Instagram. “It’s an understatement to say we are heartbroken. Cleto and I have been attached at the hip since I was nine years old. Working together every day was a dream come true for both of us, something we could hardly imagine happening. Cherish your friends and please keep Cleto’s family in your thoughts during this tough time.”

Cleto Escobedo III was born on August 23, 1966, in Las Vegas, the son of Cleto Escobedo Jr., a musician who once played saxophone and later served as a backstage butler for Sammy Davis, Jr. at Caesar’s Palace Casino. Although Escobedo Jr. gave up performing to work as a butler, at the urging of his wife Sylvia, he taught his son to play the saxophone starting in the sixth grade. Leveraging his father’s connections in the entertainment industry, Escobedo III began his career as a touring saxophonist for Paula Abdul and later for Marc Anthony. In 1995, he formed the band that would eventually be known as Cleto and the Cletones on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Escobedo’s friendship with Kimmel began in middle school when Kimmel’s family moved into the neighborhood. They quickly connected over their mutual admiration for David Letterman, often staying up late to watch his show together. “In 1976, we ended up on the same block. His family came from Brooklyn, and we moved from across town. We met on the street one day. There weren’t many kids around, but Jimmy and I clicked right away, sharing the same sense of humor. We’ve been close friends ever since,” he recalled in a 2022 interview. Having previously collaborated with Kimmel on The Man Show, Escobedo was the natural choice to lead the band when Kimmel began his show on ABC in 2003, for which he also co-wrote the theme song.

Escobedo leaves behind his wife, Lori, and two children.