Anguished Jimmy Kimmel Delivers Tearful 20-Minute Opening to Honor Friend and Bandleader Cleto Escobedo III After His Death

Jimmy Kimmel opened Tuesday’s monologue in tears as he delivered an emotional, 20-minute tribute to his show’s longtime bandleader and childhood friend Cleto Escobedo III, who died at age 59 on Tuesday.

Escobedo had been a fixture of Kimmel’s late-night show since its launch in 2003, leading in-house band Cleto and the Cletones. His father, Cleto Escobedo Jr., also plays in the band.

“I’ve had to do some hard monologues along the way,” Kimmel began telling the studio audience, visibly shaken. “But this one’s the hardest because late last night, early this morning, we lost someone very special who was much too young to go.”

“He was proud of me. He loved me. He loved seeing all of this happen, being a part of it. He never took it for granted,” he said.

Earlier that day, Kimmel confirmed the news on Instagram, writing: “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.”

The host continued to grow tearful as he described the pair’s friendship, which stretched back to their childhood in Las Vegas, as both of them built their careers.

“Cleto and I have been inseparable since I was 9 years old,” Kimmel wrote. “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 added, choking up: “We’re not here forever.”

“We’re going to take the next couple of nights off,” Kimmel said, “but I want to be here tonight to tell you about my friend and also Cleo loved Eddie Murphy – a lot – and I don’t think he would have wanted us to miss this. So, uh, we will be right back with Eddie Murphy.”

Escobedo’s cause of death has not been released. He is survived by his wife, Lori, and their two children.

Watch above via ABC.

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