Paula Abdul and Jimmy Kimmel Mourn Loss of Saxophonist Cleto Escobedo III
Paula Abdul honored the memory of Cleto Escobedo III following the announcement of his passing.
“My heart feels a profound sadness today as we bid farewell to the remarkable Cleto Escobedo III,” Abdul, 63, wrote alongside an Instagram video shared on Tuesday, November 11. “My initial encounter with Cleto was when he performed saxophone in an intimate lounge at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.”
The footage featured Abdul and Escobedo III performing her track “Forever Your Girl” with him simultaneously playing the saxophone.
“I was assembling my musical ensemble for my debut global tour, and the instant I heard him, I realized I needed to recruit him, despite his lack of prior touring background,” Abdul’s accompanying text further stated. “His aptitude and vivacity were indisputable, and he proceeded to forge an impressive career, reconnecting with his closest friend Jimmy Kimmel as the musical director for Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
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The vocalist finished her message, saying, “Cleto embodied sheer radiance and spirit, both in performance and in his personal life. Extending heartfelt condolences to his family and all those who cherished him.”
Jimmy Kimmel announced on Tuesday that his enduring companion and musical director, Escobedo III, had passed away at 59 years old.
“In the early hours of this morning, we mourned the loss of a wonderful friend, father, son, instrumentalist, and individual, my long-standing bandleader Cleto Escobedo III,” Kimmel penned in an Instagram post, disseminating the information. “To express our profound sorrow would not fully capture our feelings.”
He went on to state, “Cleto and I have maintained an unbreakable bond since I was nine years old. That we had the opportunity to collaborate daily is an aspiration neither of us could have ever conceived becoming reality. Value your friendships and kindly hold Cleto’s spouse, offspring, and parents in your thoughts.”
Jimmy Kimmel Live! proceeded as scheduled on Tuesday evening, featuring Kimmel commemorating his deceased friend during an emotional opening address.
The late-night presenter remarked that he has delivered “several challenging monologues” across his television career, but speaking about his friend’s demise proved to be “the most arduous.”
“Late yesterday evening, or early today, we said goodbye to a truly remarkable person who departed far too prematurely,” Kimmel uttered, visibly emotional. “A boy resided on my street. … He was slightly older than me. He was one year my senior. His appellation was Cleto.”
Kimmel recounted the initial period of their camaraderie and its evolution into a professional partnership.
“My desire was for Cleto to direct my musical group,” Kimmel stated. “The prospect of anyone else fronting the band was daunting. It was imperative that it be him.”
Escobedo III’s ensemble, Cleto and the Cletones, has served as the resident band for Jimmy Kimmel Live! since the program’s debut in 2003.
“I was intensely apprehensive that they would decline and I’d be compelled to find a different band. I had to muster the courage to propose it,” he elaborated. “Given that I understood [stating], ‘My childhood best friend is a saxophonist, he could conduct the band,’ wasn’t a compelling proposal.”
Kimmel proceeded, “My wish wasn't just for Cleto to lead the ensemble; I also wanted his father [Cleto Escobedo Jr.] to be a part of it. … We have collaborated daily for nearly 23 years as of now.”
