{"id":204739,"date":"2025-11-12T13:28:09","date_gmt":"2025-11-12T13:28:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/12\/jimmy-kimmel-cries-throughout-tribute-to-late-bandleader-cleto-escobedo-its-just-not-fair\/"},"modified":"2025-11-12T13:28:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-12T13:28:09","slug":"jimmy-kimmel-cries-throughout-tribute-to-late-bandleader-cleto-escobedo-its-just-not-fair","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/12\/jimmy-kimmel-cries-throughout-tribute-to-late-bandleader-cleto-escobedo-its-just-not-fair\/","title":{"rendered":"Jimmy Kimmel Cries Throughout Tribute to Late Bandleader Cleto Escobedo: &#8216;It&#8217;s Just Not Fair&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 3<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>As we previously reported, Jimmy Kimmel\u2019s bandleader and lifelong friend, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehollywoodgossip.com\/2025\/11\/cleto-escobedo-cause-of-death-jimmy-kimmel-live-bandleader-was-59\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cleto Escobedo, passed away<\/a> unexpectedly on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>He was just 59 years old.<\/p>\n<p>On last night\u2019s episode of his show, Kimmel paid loving tribute to Escobedo in the most emotional monologue of his career.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><noscript><\/noscript><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2244092166-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Jimmy Kimmel speaks onstage during the Third Annual Rare Impact Fund Benefit hosted by Selena Gomez at Nya Studios on October 29, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. \" class=\"wp-image-540107 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2244092166-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2244092166-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2244092166-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2244092166-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2244092166-640x960.jpg 640w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2244092166-720x1080.jpg 720w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2244092166-800x1200.jpg 800w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2244092166-scaled.jpg 1706w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2244092166-scaled.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jimmy Kimmel speaks onstage during the Third Annual Rare Impact Fund Benefit hosted by Selena Gomez at Nya Studios on October 29, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. <span class=\"image-caption-credit\"> (Photo by Monica Schipper\/Getty Images for Rare Impact Fund)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve been on the air for almost 23 years and I\u2019ve had to do some hard monologues along the way, but this one\u2019s the hardest because late last night, early this morning, we lost someone very special who was much too young,\u201d Kimmel told his audience:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEveryone loves Cleto\u2026 everyone here at the show,\u201d Kimmel later said. \u201cWe are devastated by this. It\u2019s not\u2026 It\u2019s just not fair.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kimmel also revealed that the next two episodes of his show had been canceled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re going to take the next couple of nights off,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>He explained that he and his crew went through with last night\u2019s show only because Cleto wouldn\u2019t have wanted them to miss out on interviewing Eddie Murphy.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Jimmy Kimmel Remembers His Best Friend and Bandleader Cleto Escobedo III\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0xlVAr6JZ9A?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Cleto\u2019s father, Cleto Escobedo Sr., is also a member of Kimmel\u2019s house band, and he took his usual position last night in honor of his son.<\/p>\n<p>Escobedo\u2019s mother was in the audience for the live episode.<\/p>\n<p>Kimmel announced Cleto\u2019s passing in an Instagram post on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo say that we are heartbroken is an understatement,\u201d Kimmel wrote.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCleto 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. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cCherish your friends and please keep Cleto\u2019s wife, children and parents in your prayers.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2201394486-1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Cleto Escobedo attends as Keep Memory Alive hosts star-studded lineup at annual &quot;Power Of Love&quot; gala at MGM Grand Garden Arena on February 22, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. \" class=\"wp-image-540108\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2201394486-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2201394486-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2201394486-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2201394486-1-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2201394486-1-960x640.jpg 960w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2201394486-1-1080x720.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2201394486-1-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2201394486-1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Cleto Escobedo attends as Keep Memory Alive hosts star-studded lineup at annual &quot;Power Of Love&quot; gala at MGM Grand Garden Arena on February 22, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. \" class=\"wp-image-540108 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2201394486-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2201394486-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2201394486-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2201394486-1-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2201394486-1-960x640.jpg 960w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2201394486-1-1080x720.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2201394486-1-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2201394486-1-scaled.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Cleto Escobedo attends as Keep Memory Alive hosts star-studded lineup at annual \u201cPower Of Love\u201d gala at MGM Grand Garden Arena on February 22, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. <span class=\"image-caption-credit\"> (Photo by Gabe Ginsberg\/Getty Images for Keep Memory Alive)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In his monologue, Kimmel explained how he first met Cleto shortly after his family moved from Brooklyn to Las Vegas when he was a young boy.<\/p>\n<p>In a recent interview, Kimmel recalled that hiring his \u201cchild prodigy\u201d friend as bandleader was non-negotiable when he landed his late night gig back in 2003.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ll tell you one thing. It had to have my band leader, Cleto,\u201d the host told\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/abc7ny.com\/post\/jimmy-kimmels-childhood-friend-doubles-as-band-leader\/683653\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ABC7<\/a>, adding:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was nervous, because I thought they\u2019d say, \u2018We don\u2019t want your friend to be the band leader.\u2019 So I took the president of ABC to see him play with his band, and he loved it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf course I wanted great musicians, but I wanted somebody I had chemistry with. And there\u2019s nobody in my life I have better chemistry with than him,\u201d Kimmel explained.<\/p>\n<p>His passing comes at a time when Kimmel\u2019s show has been making headlines due to the host\u2019s ongoing\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehollywoodgossip.com\/2025\/10\/jimmy-kimmel-invites-donald-trump-on-his-show-gets-brutally-shot-down-by-white-house\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">feud with Donald Trump<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Our thoughts go out to Cleto Escobedo\u2019s loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehollywoodgossip.com\/2025\/11\/jimmy-kimmel-cries-throughout-tribute-to-late-bandleader-cleto-escobedo-its-just-not-fair\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Reading Time: 3 minutes As we previously reported, Jimmy Kimmel\u2019s bandleader and lifelong friend, Cleto Escobedo, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday. He was just 59 years old. On last night\u2019s episode of his show, Kimmel paid loving tribute to Escobedo in the most emotional monologue of his career. Jimmy Kimmel speaks onstage during the Third [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":204740,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-204739","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-hollywood"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/204739","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=204739"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/204739\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/204740"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=204739"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=204739"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=204739"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}