Shortly after the death of Jimmy Kimmel‘s old friend and his show’s bandleader, Cleto Escobedo III, the show honored the musician’s legacy by changing the name of the live band in the show. This is the first time a different name has appeared for the band during the introduction of the show in the past 23 years. Here’s the new name unveiled in Monday’s episode.
Jimmy Kimmel’s house band reveals new name
During the title sequence in Monday’s episode of the show, the Kimmel Live house band got an updated name in honor of Cleto Escobedo III, the recently deceased band leader and Kimmel’s childhood friend.
In what happened for the first time in 23 years, a new title sequence introduced the band as “The Cletones,” instead of Cleto and the Cletones (via EW), which was the band’s name for decades. Cleto Escobedo passed away on November 11, 2025.
Jimmy Kimmel announced his friend’s passing in an emotional Instagram post on Monday. “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. Cherish your friends and please keep Cleto’s wife, children, and parents in your prayers,” he wrote.
He further addressed his friend’s death during his monologue on the Kimmel Live episode that aired on November 11, 2025. “Everyone loves Cleto,” Kimmel said, “everyone here at the show. We are devastated by this. It’s not… It’s just not fair.”
Jimmy Kimmel Live put a hold on the airings on November 12 and 13 before returning on November 14, 2025, in the wake of Cleto’s passing.
