Put your hands together for the Cletones.

Jimmy Kimmel Live house band changes name after bandleader Cleto Escobedo’s death

Put your hands together for the Cletones.

By Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman is a news writer for with previous work in MUBI Notebook, Slant, and the LA Review of Books.

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November 19, 2025 10:56 p.m. ET

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Cleto and the Cletones on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live'. Credit:

Randy Holmes/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

*Jimmy Kimmel Live *is paying tribute to one of its own.

In honor of Cleto Escobedo III, host Jimmy Kimmel's longtime bandleader and friend, who died on Nov. 11 at the age of 59, the *Kimmel Live *house band is officially rebranding from Cleto and the Cletones to simply the Cletones.

A new title sequence that introduced Monday's episode of *Kimmel Live *debuted the change, flashing "The Cletones" for the first time in the band's 23 years on the air.

The Cletones credit from the new opening titles for 'Jimmy Kimmel Live'.

Kimmel announced Escobedo's death in an emotional Instagram post on Monday, writing in part, "Early this morning, we lost a great friend, father, son, musician and man, my longtime bandleader Cleto Escobedo III. To say that we are heartbroken is an understatement. Cleto and I have been inseparable since I was nine years old. The fact that we got to work together every day is a dream neither of us could ever have imagined would come true."

A noted saxophone player, Escobedo founded Cleto and the Cletones in 1995. When *Jimmy Kimmel Live *was ordered to air in 2003, Escobedo's childhood friend immediately pulled him into the mix. The Cletones also included Escobedo's father, Cleto Escobedo Jr.

Jimmy Kimmel shares heartbreaking news of bandleader Cleto Escobedo III's death

Jimmy Kimmel pays tearful tribute to late bandleader Cleto Escobedo on talk show

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Kimmel further mourned Escobedo during his monologue on the *Kimmel Live *episode that aired Nov. 11, the day of his death.

"Everyone loves Cleto," Kimmel remarked, "everyone here at the show. We are devastated by this. It's not... It's just not fair." As a result of Escobedo's untimely passing,* Kimmel Live *put Nov. 12 and Nov. 13's episodes on hold, returning Nov. 14 for one last show before the weekend.****

Jimmy Kimmel and Cleto Escobedo III on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live'.

Richard Cartwright / Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

Escobedo's death has only added to the tumult at *Jimmy Kimmel Live*. Since the historic cancelation of the *Late Show *franchise after 33 years in July, President Donald Trump has blazed a warpath against all of late night, threatening Seth Meyers and celebrating the controversial, yet brief suspension of *Jimmy Kimmel Live *in September.

"The president of the United States made it very clear he wants to see me and the hundreds of people who work here fired from our jobs," Kimmel said upon his return, urging his viewers to be "10 times as loud" in resistance to Trump if he should move against anyone else on the late-night lineup.

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