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Coverage dated November 10, 2025 to November 14, 2025

Jimmy Kimmel addresses Cleto Escobedo's health battle before his death

Headline from NBC Los Angeles

Less than a week after Jimmy Kimmel's friend Cleto Escobedo died, the late-night host provided insight into his longtime band leader's health battle.

NBC Los Angeles's own description from its feed. We collect headlines and these descriptions, not full articles; read the original reporting below.

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56 articles, oldest first.

  1. 6ABC Philadelphia

    Jimmy Kimmel's bandleader Cleto Escobedo III dies (opens 6ABC Philadelphia)

    Published

    6ABC Philadelphia's feed description

    Jimmy Kimmel's band leader Cleto Escobedo III died on Tuesday morning.

  2. NBC10 Philadelphia

    Jimmy Kimmel announces death of bandleader and close friend Cleto Escobedo III (opens NBC10 Philadelphia)

    Published

    NBC10 Philadelphia's feed description

    Kimmel met Escobedo in 1977, when the late-night host's family moved out of New York to Las Vegas.

  3. New York Post

    Jimmy Kimmel’s lifelong friend and ‘JKL!’ band leader Cleto Escobedo dead at 59 (opens New York Post)

    Published

    New York Post's feed description

    Jimmy Kimmel has announced that his lifelong friend and band leader, Cleto Escobedo, has died at 59, after abruptly airing reruns of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on ABC.

  4. WFMZ Allentown

    Cleto Escobedo III, Jimmy Kimmel’s bandleader and childhood friend, dies at 59 (opens WFMZ Allentown)

    Published

    WFMZ Allentown's feed description

    Jimmy Kimmel is mourning the death of his longtime friend and bandleader, Cleto Escobedo III. Escobedo was 59. Kimmel announced the news Tuesday on Instagram and expressed deep heartbreak. The

  5. WHAS Louisville

    Cleto Escobedo, Jimmy Kimmel's longtime friend and late-night show band leader, has died (opens WHAS Louisville)

    Published

    WHAS Louisville's feed description

    Escobedo has been a part of Cleto and the Cletones, the house band for "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," since 2003.

  6. KTVU San Francisco

    Cleto Escobedo III, beloved ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ bandleader, dies at 59 (opens KTVU San Francisco)

    Published

    KTVU San Francisco's feed description

    Jimmy Kimmel is mourning the loss of Cleto Escobedo III, his longtime friend and the bandleader of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," who has died at 59.

  7. Latin Times

    Cause of Death Reveald for Latino Star Cleto Escobedo III, Close Friend of Jimmy Kimmel and Luis Miguel, Marc Anthony and Paula Abdul Collaborator (opens Latin Times)

    Published

    Latin Times's feed description

    Late-night television lost a pillar of its musical backbone on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, when Cleto Escobedo III, longtime bandleader of Jimmy Kimmel Live! and childhood friend of its host Jimmy

  8. KESQ Palm Springs

    Jimmy Kimmel’s tribute to Cleto Escobedo III, his dear friend and bandleader (opens KESQ Palm Springs)

    Published

    KESQ Palm Springs's feed description

    By Lisa France, CNN (CNN) — Jimmy Kimmel shared his broken heart for 22 minutes with his audience Tuesday night. The late night host used his “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” monologue to speak about his childhood friend who was also his bandleader. Cleto Escobedo III died at the age of 59 on Tuesday.

  9. Los Angeles Times

    Jimmy Kimmel's band leader and longtime friend Cleto Escobedo III dies at 59 (opens Los Angeles Times)

    Published

    Los Angeles Times's feed description

    Cleto Escobedo III, the bandleader on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!,' has died, according to the late-night host. The pair were close friends, having grown up together.

  10. CBS News

    Cleto Escobedo III, (opens CBS News)

    Published

    CBS News's feed description

    Cleto Escobedo III, longtime bandleader of the "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" show, has died, Jimmy Kimmel announced Tuesday. He was 59.

  11. The Hollywood Reporter

    Jimmy Kimmel Remembers His Longtime Bandleader Cleto Escobedo III: “I’m Heartbroken to Lose Him” (opens The Hollywood Reporter)

    Published

    The Hollywood Reporter's feed description

    Jimmy Kimmel is paying tribute to Cleto Escobedo III, his childhood best friend and longtime bandleader for Jimmy Kimmel Live!, who died at 59.

  12. NPR

    Cleto Escobedo III, leader of Jimmy Kimmel's house band, dies at 59 (opens NPR)

    Published

    NPR's feed description

    Escobedo had been leading Kimmel's house band since the show launched in 2003. The musician and the comedian were childhood friends in Las Vegas.

  13. UPI

    Watch: Jimmy Kimmel honors longtime friend, bandleader Cleto Escobedo III (opens UPI)

    Published

    UPI's feed description

    Cleto Escobedo III, the saxophone-playing bandleader for "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," died Tuesday at age 59. Kimmel paid tribute to his friend on "Live."

  14. Rolling Stone

    'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' Bandleader Cleto Escobedo III Dead at 59 (opens Rolling Stone)

    Published

    Rolling Stone's feed description

    Cleto Escobedo III, the longtime bandleader for 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' and Kimmel's childhood friend, has died at age 59.

  15. Variety

    Jimmy Kimmel Breaks Down in Tears Honoring Late Bandleader Cleto Escobedo III: ‘We Are Devastated by This’ (opens Variety)

    Published

    Variety's feed description

    Jimmy Kimmel opened Tuesday's episode of his show by paying tribute to late friend and bandleader Cleto Escobedo III.

  16. Newsweek

    Jimmy Kimmel reacts to death of bandleader Cleto Escobedo III (opens Newsweek)

    Published

    Newsweek's feed description

    Kimmel and Escobedo’s friendship stretched back more than 50 years to their childhood in Las Vegas.

  17. Entertainment Weekly

    Jimmy Kimmel shares heartbreaking news of band leader Cleto Escobedo III's death (opens Entertainment Weekly)

    Published

    Entertainment Weekly's feed description

    'Inseparable since I was 9 years old': Jimmy Kimmel is mourning the death of longtime friend and 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' bandleader, Cleto Escobedo III. He was 59.

  18. Deadline

    Jimmy Kimmel Breaks Down In Tears Paying Tribute To Cleto Escobedo III On ABC Late-Night Show (opens Deadline)

    Published

    Deadline's feed description

    Jimmy Kimmel was visibly distraught following the death of his close friend Cleto Escobedo III, the musical director of Jimmy Kimmel Live! and the leader of the in-house band.

  19. Breitbart News

    Jimmy Kimmel Live! Bandleader Cleto Escobedo Dies at 59 (opens Breitbart News)

    Published

    Breitbart News's feed description

    Cleto Escobedo III, the saxophone-playing bandleader for Jimmy Kimmel Live!, died Tuesday morning, late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel announced in a statement. Escobedo was 59.

  20. NBC Los Angeles

    Jimmy Kimmel addresses Cleto Escobedo's health battle before his death (opens NBC Los Angeles)

    Published

    NBC Los Angeles's feed description

    Less than a week after Jimmy Kimmel's friend Cleto Escobedo died, the late-night host provided insight into his longtime band leader's health battle.

  21. Rolling Stone

    'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' Bandleader Cleto Escobedo III's Cause of Death Revealed (opens Rolling Stone)

    Published

    Rolling Stone's feed description

    The cause of death of Cleto Escobedo III, longtime bandleader of 'Jimmy Kimmel Live,' has been revealed.

  22. Thv11

    Cause of death revealed for Cleto Escobedo, Jimmy Kimmel's longtime friend and bandleader (opens Thv11)

    Published

    Thv11's feed description

    Escobedo had led the show's house band, Cleto and the Cletones, since "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" debuted in 2003.

  23. Las Vegas Review-Journal

    ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ band leader Cleto Escobedo’s cause of death revealed (opens Las Vegas Review-Journal)

    Published

    Las Vegas Review-Journal's feed description

    Jimmy Kimmel’s lifelong friend and the band leader of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Cleto Escobedo III, passed away on Tuesday, November 11, at just 59 years old. Condolences poured in for Kimmel throughout the week, and Escobedo’s cause of death has now been revealed.

  24. Newsweek

    Jimmy Kimmel’s friend Cleto Escobedo III’s cause of death revealed (opens Newsweek)

    Published

    Newsweek's feed description

    Escobedo was Jimmy Kimmel’s longtime friend and bandleader.

  25. NBC New York

    Jimmy Kimmel band leader Cleto Escobedo's cause of death revealed (opens NBC New York)

    Published

    NBC New York's feed description

    Less than a week after Jimmy Kimmel's band leader and childhood friend Cleto Escobedo III died at age 59, the late musician's cause of death was revealed.

Showing the first 25 of 26 headlines. ·

Identical headlines usually mean shared wire copy. They are counted as separate articles but are not independent confirmation.

Jimmy Kimmel addresses Cleto Escobedo's health battle before his death | Since Then