Cleto Escobedo III

Early life Escobedo was born on August 23, 1966, in Las Vegas, Nevada, to Cleto Escobedo Jr. and Sylvia Escobedo. At his mother's suggestion, Escobedo learned to play the saxophone from his father. They both attended Guinn Junior High School, and their friendship developed. As children, the pair often stayed up late watching Late Night with David Letterman together.

Career After briefly attending UNLV, Escobedo joined the band Santa Fe (later Santa Fe and The Fat City Horns).

Before joining Jimmy Kimmel on his late-night show, Escobedo performed across Las Vegas. In 2003, while on tour with Marc Anthony, Escobedo was invited to join Kimmel on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, having previously worked with him on the Comedy Central series The Man Show.

The Cletones The Cletones, formerly Cleto and the Cletones, is the American house band on the ABC-TV late-night television program, Jimmy Kimmel Live! (since 2003). Escobedo formed Cleto and the Cletones and performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live! from its inception until his death. He grew up as a neighbor of host Jimmy Kimmel in Las Vegas.

In 2003, he co-wrote the show's theme song with Kimmel's brother Jonathan and Les Pierce. During his time on the show, Escobedo collaborated with musicians including Jimmy Vivino of Late Night with Conan O'Brien and Paul Shaffer, bandleader of Late Night with David Letterman. He also joined other late-night television musicians in advocating for networks to pay musicians for appearances on YouTube.

They appeared on the seventh episode of the I Love Music Podcast with Jen Fodor.

The band's name was changed to the Cletones following Escobedo's death.

Personal life and death Escobedo lived in Studio City with his wife Lori and their two children. Kimmel announced Escobedo's death on social media, and eulogized him in that evening's monologue. He announced on that night's show that he would take two nights off to mourn. Escobedo's cause of death was revealed to be cardiogenic shock, in turn caused by complications from a liver transplant, with disseminated intravascular coagulation and alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver listed as contributing factors.

Discography Studio albums Cleto (1995) (Promo) Los Blues Volume One Cleto The Cletones Jimmy Kimmel LP