Saxophonist Cleto Escobedo III died on November 11, 2025, at the age of 59. His childhood friend and collaborator, Jimmy Kimmel, announced the death via Instagram. The official cause of death or the location remains undisclosed.“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. Cleto and I have been inseparable since I was nine years old,” the caption read.It continued, “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 and please keep Cleto’s wife, children and parents in your prayers.”The Instagram post was accompanied by an image of the deceased on the set of the ABC late-night talk show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where he was the band leader and music director of the house band, Cleto and the Cletones.Cleto Escobedo III’s father, Cleto Escobedo Jr, was a former valet turned saxophonist who was a member of Cleto and the Cletones and played on the talk show alongside his son for over a decade.According to the New York Times, since Jimmy Kimmel Live! kicked off in 2003, Cleto Escobedo III’s band has been part of the show. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostAll about Cleto Escobedo III’s fatherCleto Escobedo III’s father was featured on the December 2013 “Catching Up With” series of the My San Antonio website. At the time, Cleto Escobedo Jr was 71 years old and a saxophone player who was popular in the West Side of the San Antonio R&B scene.He was a part of the now-defunct band Dell-Kings and Los Blues, which played 300 weeks at the Casbar Lounge in the Las Vegas Sahara Hotel and at the Waldorf and the Madison Square Garden in New York City. Fondly called “Cleets” by friends, fans, and bandmates, Cleto Escobedo Jr released an album called Los Blues/ Volume One in 1971 under the United Artists Records label.During his music career in Sin City, Escobedo Jr teamed up with the likes of Louie Prima, Sam Butera & the Witnesses, and Keely Smith. He also competed for prime slots with A-listers such as Elvis Presley, Don Rickles, Norm Crosby, Maury Wills, Pete Fountain, and Sammy Davis Jr.Although Escobedo Jr was born and raised in San Antonio, he later moved to Studio City, California. He was the son of Cleto Escobedo Sr and Victoria Escobedo. Jr later married a woman named Sylvia and welcomed their son Cleto Escobedo III.However, he soon retired as a musician and went to work at the famous Caesars Palace, where he served multiple roles, including a busboy, a room service waiter, a butler, and the head butler. Later, on the recommendation of Sammy Davis Jr, Cleto Escobedo III’s dad began working backstage at Caesars Palace.Escobedo Jr returned to music when his son called and informed him that his band was auditioning for Jimmy Kimmel’s show.“Every once in a while, my wife and I would drive from Las Vegas to Sherman Oaks, and I'd sit in with Cleto on alto sax. One day, I got a call from him telling me Jimmy Kimmel was going to be auditioning the band for a television show. I told him we'd be there. He told me to bring my horn,” Cleto Jr told MySA in 2013.He shared that both comedian-host Jimmy Kimmel and ABC Entertainment Group Chairman Lloyd Braun were taking the audition. During the second sit, he was called in. Later, Braun told him that his son was going to lead the band and become the music director of the talk show, adding that he was also invited to be a part of it.“I was actually being auditioned without me knowing it,” Escobedo Jr noted.Eventually, Cleto retired from Caesars Palace and became a regular on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.“I'm in seventh heaven every night. I'm playing music with my son on a show with my other son. If I screw up a couple of notes, Cleto won't fire me. There's not another son and dad on late-night TV… This was all Jimmy Kimmel's idea. I owe him so much. And I don't know how I did it without playing for 30 years,” Cleto III observed.Jimmy Kimmel, Cleto Escobedo III, and their friend at World Series - New York Yankees v Los Angeles Dodgers - Game 1 - Source: GettyIt is noteworthy that Jimmy Kimmel and Cleto Escobedo III grew up together in Las Vegas. During a 2013 interview with Variety, Jimmy called his friend a “musical prodigy.”“When ABC offered me my show, I prayed that they’d let me hire Cleto, and to my amazement, they agreed, sight unseen… They were blown away, and they loved the idea that he’s my best friend and that his dad’s also in the band,” Kimmel shared.Jimmy also gave a shoutout to his childhood buddy and “older brother” for a “lifetime of friendship” on Escobedo III’s 50th birthday on his talk show.Cleto Escobedo III also praised his father as his role model and biggest musical influence during his appearance on The Jake Feinberg Show in 2024.“There was music everywhere. I distinctly remember my dad playing in Hawaii. I was 5 years old and watching his band and him play, and I used to get teared up watching my dad play. I was so excited by the music of it all,” he recalled.Cleto Escobedo III is survived by his wife, Lori, his parents, Cleto Jr and Sylvia, and his children, Cruz/ Cleto IV and Jesse Gean. The renowned saxophonist and Jimmy Kimmel Live! bandleader Cleto Escobedo III was praised for his energetic performances and musical prowess. He has left a lasting musical legacy by touring with well-known musicians such as Earth, Wind & Fire and Marc Anthony, co-creating the show's theme, and performing with his father for many years.