Paula Abdul is mourning the heartbreaking loss of Cleto Escobedo III, the longtime Jimmy Kimmel Live! bandleader who joined her on her first world tour.
After Cleto’s unexpected death at 59, the Grammy-winning singer shared a heartfelt Instagram tribute on Wednesday, November 12, remembering the talented musician she first met decades ago in Las Vegas.
“My heart is heavy today as we say goodbye to the incredible Cleto Escobedo III,” Abdul, 63, wrote alongside a throwback clip of the two performing her hit “Forever Your Girl.” “I first met Cleto when he was playing sax in a small bar at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.”
Abdul recalled instantly knowing she had to hire him for her Under My Spell Tour in 1991 — her first world tour — even though Cleto never toured before.
“His talent and energy were undeniable, and he went on to have an amazing career, reuniting with his best friend Jimmy Kimmel as the bandleader on Jimmy Kimmel Live!” she continued. “Cleto was pure light and soul, both on and off stage.”
Kimmel, who announced Cleto’s death in an Instagram post, also paid tribute to his childhood friend and bandmate in a tearful monologue on Tuesday night.
“Early this morning, we lost a great friend, father, son, musician and man,” he wrote on Instagram before the show. “Cleto and I have been inseparable since I was 9 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.”
Fighting back tears on air, the late night show host told viewers, “The idea that anyone other than him would lead the band was terrifying. It had to be him.”
Jimmy Kimmel Live! has since gone on a short hiatus as Kimmel takes time to grieve.
Cleto’s cause of death has not yet been confirmed, though Page Six reported it may have been due to complications from a liver transplant.