HEARTBREAKING: Jimmy Kimmel breaks down after heartbreaking personal tragedy

Jimmy was absolutely devastated on the show last nightCredit: YouTube/Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Through tears he chatted to the audience all about his friend Cleto, who was also a member of the show’s bandCredit: YouTube/Jimmy Kimmel Live!

The pair have worked on the show together since the very beginningCredit: Getty
The decision to go off air for a while comes after the devastating loss of his childhood best friend, Cleto Escobedo III.

Cleto was also the leader of Jimmy’s band on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

He had led the house band, called Cleto and the Cletones, since the show’s inception in 2003.

While an official cause of death hasn’t been released, there have been claims that the musician had liver complications.

He passed away yesterday at age 59.

Addressing the loss on last night’s show in an emotional tribute, Jimmy took a moment to remember his friend with the audience.

“Thank you,” said Jimmy tearfully, soaking up the applause as he entered the stage. “I just wanted to say, please sit.

“Uh, we’ve been on the air for almost 23 years and I’ve had to do some hard monologues along the way.

“But this will uh this one’s the hardest because late last night, early this morning, we lost someone very special who was much too young to go.

“And I’d like to tell you about him, if you don’t mind.”

Jimmy recounted moving from Brooklyn to LA with his family in 1977 into what he described as a “cookie cutter” neighborhood.

But there was a boy – Cleto – who lived across the street and two houses over.

“One day I was out on my block, I was riding my bike.

“I was wearing boxing gloves and my mother’s sunglasses and headband.

Jimmy was close to Cleto’s entire family, once spending 33 nights in a row sleeping over at Cleto’s houseCredit: Getty

He played saxophone along side his dad in Jimmy’s bandCredit: Getty
“And Cleto watched me go down the street.

“And years later, he told me the first time he saw me, he thought I was special.

“We became friends and not just regular friends.

“We became like 24/7 mom please let me sleep over please kind of friends.

“One summer I slept over at the Escobido house 33 nights in a row.”

Later on in the monologue, Jimmy broke down as he shared how “the single best thing about doing the show” was allowing Cleto and his father the chance to be musicians together.

Cleto’s father used to perform saxophone in 1966 – the instrument Cleto also played in the Kimmel band.

The camera panned to show Cleto senior in the bandstand and Cleto’s mom in the audience.

“Cleto senior and his wife Sylvia, Cleto’s mom, have been my second parents. Since I was in the fourth grade, I’ve known ’em.

“47 years these people have never once yelled at me. Not one time. They are the best people.

“Sylvia comes here into work every day and sits in that seat, despite not having a job here.

“She’d come here every day to be near her husband and son.”

Jimmy wrapped up saying how everyone at the show loved Cleto and they’re all “devastated by this,” and thanked the audience for “indulging him” by allowing him to share fond memories of his pal.

“Thank you for indulging me, we’re going to take the next couple of nights off.”

Jimmy has postponed his show for a week to grieveCredit: Getty

Jimmy says Cleto will be dearly missed by all on the programCredit: Getty