Cleto Escobedo III, the saxophone-playing bandleader for Jimmy Kimmel Live!, died Tuesday morning, late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel announced in a statement. Escobedo was 59.
"To say that we are heartbroken is an understatement. Cleto and I have been inseparable since I was nine 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."
No cause of death was mentioned in the statement, in which Kimmel urged the public to "cherish your friends and please keep Cleto's wife, children and parents in your prayers."
The announcement came days after a taping of the show was postponed last week.
Escobedo formed Cleto and the Cletones in 1995 and joined Kimmel for his late-night program when it first aired in 2003, Entertainment Weekly reported.Along with working in late night, he also toured with Paula Abdul and Marc Anthony, among others.
"My heart is heavy today as we say goodbye to the incredible Cleto Escobedo III," Abdul said in a statement on X.
"His talent and energy were undeniable, and he went on to have an amazing career," she said. "Cleto was pure light and soul, both on and off stage. Sending so much love to his family and everyone who loved him."
