Jimmy Kimmel is paying tribute to his lifelong friend and Jimmy Kimmel Live! Bandleader, Cleto Escobedo III, after the musician died at 59.

“Early this morning, we lost a great friend, father, son, musician and man, my longtime bandleader Cleto Escobedo III,” Kimmel, 57, captioned an Instagram post on Tuesday, November 11. “To say that we are heartbroken is an understatement.”

Kimmel noted that he and Escobedo III “have been inseparable” since he 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,” Kimmel concluded. “Cherish your friends and please keep Cleto’s wife, children and parents in your prayers.”

Several of Kimmel’s famous friends were quick to flood the comments section with tributes of their own

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