Jimmy Kimmel is grieving a personal and professional loss.
The Jimmy Kimmel Live! host’s band leader Cleto Escobedo III, who held the role since the late-night talk show’s debut in 2003, died Nov. 11, Jimmy announced on social media. He was 59.
“Early this morning, we lost a great friend, father, son, musician and man, my longtime bandleader Cleto Escobedo III,” Jimmy wrote in a post on Instagram. “To say that we are heartbroken is an understatement.”
While the comedian did not share a cause of death, he noted that his close bond with the late musician extended far beyond their work ties.
“Cleto and I have been inseparable since I was nine years old,” Jimmy, 57, 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,” he concluded the heartfelt message, “and please keep Cleto’s wife, children and parents in your prayers.”
