Jimmy Kimmel remembers bandleader and close friend Cleto Escobedo III in tearful tribute

Jimmy Kimmel remembered his dear friend, "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" bandleader Cleto Escobedo III, in a lengthy eulogy on his show Tuesday night

Jimmy Kimmel remembered his dear friend, "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" bandleader Cleto Escobedo III, in a lengthy eulogy on his show Tuesday night.

In posts on social media announcing Escobedo's Tuesday death, Jimmy Kimmel described Escobedo as a “great friend, father, son, musician and man.” He urged his followers to keep Escobedo's family in their thoughts.

“Cleto and I have been inseparable since I was nine years old,” Kimmel wrote. “The fact that we got to work together every day is a dream neither of us could ever have imagined would come true.”

"Early this morning, we lost someone very special who was much too young to go," Kimmel said through tears at the top of his Tuesday night show.

"Everyone loves Cleto. Everyone here at the show. We're devastated by this. It's just not fair. He was the nicest, most humble, kind and always funny person," Kimmel said.