Jimmy Kimmel’s longtime bandleader, Cleto Escobedo III, has passed away due to a heart condition. According to TMZ, Escobedo’s heart was unable to pump enough blood, leading to his death. The musician’s death certificate lists cardiogenic shock as the immediate cause of death. Underlying causes include vasodilatory shock, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver.
Additional conditions that contributed to his passing include sepsis, graft versus host disease, immunosuppression, chronic kidney disease, and pneumonia, indicating a complex medical history.
On the day of his passing, Kimmel took to Instagram to pay tribute to his friend, whom he had known since childhood. 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.”
Kimmel continued, “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 prayers.”
Several notable figures also shared their condolences. Eric Stonestreet, well-known from *Modern Family*, commented, “So sorry to hear this Jimmy. He was AWESOME. Love to his family.”
Cleto Escobedo III was 59 years old at the time of his death. He and Kimmel grew up together in Las Vegas. When Kimmel landed his late-night show in 2003, he fought hard to make Escobedo the leader of the band, Cleto and the Cletones.
During a live telecast of his show, Kimmel shared an emotional tribute, recalling fond memories of their decades-long friendship and rise in the industry. He called Escobedo a “child prodigy who would get standing ovations in junior high school.”
According to TMZ, Escobedo once shared that he picked up the saxophone because of his father. “I play sax because he played sax when I was a kid. When I started going to school, he quit playing just so he could be home with me and got a job as a busboy at Caesar’s Palace, where he worked for 30 years.”
Cleto Escobedo III’s legacy as a talented musician and beloved friend lives on through the memories he created with those who knew him.
https://popculture.com/music/news/cause-of-death-released-for-jimmy-kimmel-live-musician-cleto-escobedo-iii/
