It was an emotional night for Jimmy Kimmel, as he paid memorial to his childhood friend-turned-bandleader Cleto Escobedo III following his passing at 59 earlier Tuesday.
‘We’ve been on the air for almost 23 years, and I’ve had to do some hard monologues along the way – but this one’s the hardest,’ Kimmel, 57, said of Cleto, who was godfather to his son Kevin.
Kimmel continued: ‘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.’
Kimmel said that Escobedo was loved by all of his colleagues at the ABC late night show, as he always treated others with kindness.
‘I mean, everyone loves Cleto. Everyone here at the show. We are devastated by this. It’s just not fair,’ said Kimmel, who was visibly choked up. ‘He was the nicest, most humble, kind and always funny person.’
Kimmel opened up about how when he got hired at ABC to host the late night show in 2002, Cleto was one of the first names on his mind.
It was an emotional night for Jimmy Kimmel, as he paid memorial to his late bandleader Cleto Escobedo III following his passing. Pictured 2012
Kimmel said that Tuesday’s monologue was the hardest he had to do in nearly 23 years
The late night host delivered an emotional memorial for his lifelong friend
‘One day in September 2002, I got a talk show – out of nowhere,’ Kimmel said. ‘And when you do a show like this, you need a few things.’
He continued: ‘You need a desk, you need an announcer, you need a Guillermo – and you need a band.’
Kimmel said he ‘wanted Cleto to lead’ the band, and ‘the idea that anyone other than him would lead the band was terrifying.’
Kimmel said he and Cleto had bonded watching David Letterman and his bandleader Paul Shaffer play off one another, adding, ‘We grew up watching Dave and Paul – it had to be him.’
