Jimmy Kimmel Breaks Down Honoring Late Bandleader Cleto Escobedo III

Jimmy Kimmel opened Tuesday’s episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” with a heartfelt tribute to his childhood pal and late-night bandleader Cleto Escobedo III, who died Tuesday at 59.

“We’ve been on the air for almost 23 years, and I’ve had to do some hard monologues along the way,” Kimmel said, crying. “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, and I’d like to tell you about him. If you don’t mind.”

As Kimmel recalled his lifelong friendship with Escobedo, pictures from their childhood together in Las Vegas appeared on display. Escobedo’s father, who’s in Kimmel’s band, and mom have been in attendance Tuesday evening. They have been visibly moved by the tribute.

“There was a boy who lived on my block. He lived across the street and two houses over. He was a little over a year older than me. His name was Cleto, but we all called him junior,” Kimmel explained. “Eventually, we met and became friends. And not just regular friends. We became 24/7, ‘Mom, please let me sleep over, please,’ kind of friends. One summer, I slept over at the Escobedo house 33 nights in a row. My mother used to make me get down on my knees and beg to sleep at his house in front of him. And I would gladly do it, because we were never bored. We were always up to something.”

Kimmel remembered his lifelong companion by means of tales of childhood mischief before explaining how he introduced Escobedo on to “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Kimmel said Escobedo was his first alternative to guide his band after touchdown the present in 2003, although he admitted his pitch of, “‘My best friend from growing up plays the saxophone, he could lead the band,’ didn’t sound good.” Despite his reservations, Escobedo and his dad nailed the audition.

“They played ‘Pick Up the Pieces’ by the Average White Band,” Kimmel remembered. “Lloyd saw it. He saw the father and son. He said, ‘I love it!’ And he got up and left. And we’ve been working together every day for almost 23 years.”

Kimmel later added, “Everyone here at the show we are devastated by this. It’s just not fair. He was the nicest, most humble, kind and always funny person.”

Kimmel concluded by thanking the viewers. He also famous that “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” will take “the next couple of nights off” in the wake of Escobedo’s loss of life.

Kimmel needed to abruptly cancel Thursday’s episode with the intention to are likely to Escobedo as the musician’s condition had turned worse. The host shared the news of Escobedo’s loss of life on Instagram, writing, “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. Cherish your friends and please keep Cleto’s wife, children and parents in your prayers.”

This week’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” episodes have been touted as 80s-themed; Tuesday’s episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” included Eddie Murphy, Morgan Fairchild and musical visitor Men At Work.

That isn’t the first time Kimmel has taken a private day; maybe most notable, he took break day as his younger son Billy underwent treatment for a coronary heart defect, which required a number of surgical procedures. (Billy is now said to be doing properly and totally recovered.)

Kimmel is understood for his shut loyalty to family and friends — many of whom he employs on the present — and given that the state of affairs concerned one in all his best buddies, it’s no shock that he put them first and opted to pause the Thursday present.

Watch Kimmel’s total tribute below.