Jimmy Kimmel paid tribute to his longtime friend and «Jimmy Kimmel Live!» bandleader Cleto Escobedo III following his passing, NBC News reported.
In a touching post on social media, Kimmel described Escobedo as a «great friend, father, son, musician and man,» and asked fans to keep his family in their prayers.
«Cleto and I have been inseparable since I was nine 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.»
Escobedo, a Las Vegas native, led the house band Cleto and the Cletones on «Jimmy Kimmel Live!» for more than 20 years. The pair’s close friendship began in 1977, when Kimmel’s family moved to Las Vegas.
Kimmel said he brought Escobedo on as his bandleader in 2003 not only for his extraordinary musical talent but also because of the personal connection he described as «chemistry.»
