Jimmy Kimmel’s Best Friend and Musical Director Cleto Escobedo Dead at Age 59 After Late-Night Host's Episode Was Unexpectedly Canceled

Jimmy Kimmel’s close friend and band leader, Cleto Escobedo, has passed away.

The talk show host took to Instagram on Tuesday, November 11, to announce the news with a sweet tribute.

Kimmel published a photo of the musician smiling on the stage in front of a sign that read, "Cleto and the Cletones."

"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," the talk show host wrote. "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. Cherish your friends and please keep Cleto’s wife, children and parents in your prayers."

Kimmel grew up across the street from Escobedo in Las Vegas, Nev., and they had their own band.

The Jimmy Kimmel Live! host canceled his show last Thursday, November 7, to be with his friend after he was hospitalized with complications following a liver transplant.

Fans and celebrities alike flooded the comments of Kimmel's post to give their condolences.

"Love you Love to his incredible family," comedian Jeff Ross wrote.

"What!! I noticed he wasn't at a lot of the recent shows," a social media user pointed out. "I can't believe it. Im so sorry Jimmy. My condolences to his family and to you and your work family."

In a previous interview, Escobedo opened up about what it was like meeting Kimmel for the first time after he moved from Brooklyn, New York.

"I saw we were about same age, although I later found out I was a year older. And we were like-minded on what we thought was funny," he quipped.

The duo used to play baseball and football together on the street, had sleepovers and went fishing in Escobedo's father's 1949 Chevy.

"We were very close," the instrumentalist said of Kimmel. "He moved away at 17 to Phoenix, when I was just starting college. But we always kept in touch."

When the media personality launched his show in 2003, he went straight to Escobedo to request him as musical director.

"Jimmy is very loyal to his friends," he said. "He didn’t have to ask me; I would have understood if he had hired some famous guy to be his musical director. But he trusted me, and I don’t take it for granted."

Escobedo added, "I want to stay here as long as they will have me. I will always stay by Jimmy’s side."