Jimmy Kimmel was visibly distraught following the dying of his shut pal Cleto Escobedo III, the musical director of Jimmy Kimmel Stay! and the chief of the in-house band.
The late-night present host was teary-eyed as he started the monologue in tribute to the late musician who had handed away earlier that day.
“We’ve been on the air for nearly 23 years and I’ve needed to do some onerous monologues alongside the way in which,” he stated. “However it will… This one’s the toughest as a result of late final evening, early this morning, we misplaced somebody very particular who was too younger to go.”
Kimmel recalled how he met Escobedo throughout his childhood and shared some moments he spent with him rising up in Las Vegas.
“We had so many adventures. We laughed so onerous. We had our personal language that just about nobody else understood,” Kimmel stated in regards to the particular bond he had with Escobedo. “We didn’t need to say something. We’d sit right here at rehearsal each day. We didn’t have to take a look at one another. I knew he was serious about me, and I used to be serious about him. We take a look at one another like this, and that will be it.”
Kimmel additionally recalled that they each had been followers of David Letterman and the way it was “a very large deal for each of us,” when he made his first look in 1999.
The comic referred to as Escobedo a toddler prodigy, praising him for his saxophone-playing expertise. Kimmel famous that Escobedo would find yourself working with Paula Abdul on tour.
When Kimmel lastly acquired the job because the ABC late-night speak present host, he pitched Escobedo to be the chief of the in-house band, which Kimmel wrote about in his Instagram publish earlier in the present day, too. Kimmel added that “the one neatest thing about doing this present was getting the chance” to deliver Escobedo and his father collectively in a band as he had put his profession on pause to deal with elevating his son.
“Everybody loves Cleto. Everybody right here on the present — we’re devastated by this,” Kimmel stated, breaking out in tears. “It’s simply not honest. He was the nicest, most humble, form, and at all times humorous particular person.”
Kimmel joked that Cleto “beloved to indicate his ass to others,” and saved the custom of mooning since they had been children.
“Regardless that I’m heartbroken to lose him, I’m going to take yet one more lesson from him and acknowledge how fortunate I used to be to have him at my aspect for thus a few years,” he stated.
Kimmel stated they had been going to take a few nights off, however needed to be there to recollect his pal.
Earlier in the present day, Kimmel shared a publish on Instagram as a tribute to Escobedo following his dying.
“Early this morning, we misplaced an excellent pal, father, son, musician and man, my longtime bandleader Cleto Escobedo III,” Kimmel wrote on social media. “To say that we’re heartbroken is an understatement. Cleto and I’ve been inseparable since I used to be 9 years outdated. The truth that we started working collectively each day is a dream neither of us might ever have imagined would come true. Cherish your folks and please maintain Cleto’s spouse, youngsters and oldsters in your prayers.”
The late-night speak present host will not be the one one remembering Escobedo. Paula Abdul additionally took to social media to memorialize the musician and share a video performing alongside him.
“My coronary heart is heavy in the present day as we are saying goodbye to the unbelievable Cleto Escobedo III,” Abdul posted on Instagram. “I first met Cleto when he was taking part in sax in a small bar at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. I used to be placing collectively my band for my first world tour and the second I heard him, I knew I needed to rent him, regardless that he didn’t have any touring expertise but.”
She continued, “His expertise and power had been simple, and he went on to have a tremendous profession, reuniting along with his finest pal Jimmy Kimmel because the bandleader on Jimmy Kimmel Stay! Cleto was pure gentle and soul, each on and off stage. Sending a lot like to his household and everybody who beloved him.”
