Who Was Cleto Escobedo III? What to Know About Jimmy Kimmel's Bandleader

Cleto Escobedo III had one of those careers not too many people get to enjoy -- because he worked alongside one of his childhood friends, Jimmy Kimmel, for many years.

However, the musician's stint as the late-night show host's bandleader came to an abrupt end in 2025 when he unexpectedly died.

We're going to take a look back at the saxophone player's history with Kimmel and see how his career in showbiz played out.

Escobedo was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. His father was a saxophone player who worked at Caesar's Palace as a busboy.

Escobedo and Kimmel -- who moved with his parents from Brooklyn, New York, to Las Vegas at an early age -- met when the comedian's family settled across the street from his future bandleader.

The pair grew incredibly close over the years, and Kimmel described their close connection as a "lifetime of friendship."

The musician started playing saxophone at an early age, and he later attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, although he ended up focusing on his musical career, according to The New York Times.

Escobedo started his career by playing gigs at various venues on the Las Vegas Strip before he was asked to join Paula Abdul's touring band in 1990.

He eventually landed a record deal with Virgin Records, and he also toured with artists like Marc Anthony and Luis Miguel.

Escobedo was touring with Anthony when Kimmel asked him to serve as his band leader, and the comedian had to take ABC's higher-ups to see his childhood friend play live to convince them of his musical chops.

Escobedo served as Kimmel's band leader for over two decades, and he invited his father to join his band.

Kimmel announced Escobedo's death in a post on his Instagram account in November 2025.

Details about the exact cause of the saxophone player's death were not immediately released.

Kimmel paid a lengthy tribute to Escobedo during his show on November 11th, and he became visibly emotional.