Cleto Escobedo III , the longtime musical director of Jimmy Kimmel Live! , has died at the age of 59.

Escobedo, a childhood friend of the ABC late-night host, died Tuesday morning. The cause of death was not revealed.

Escobedo has worked on JKL! since it premiered in 2003 and was the leader of Cleto and the Cletones, the late-night show’s in-house band.

“Early this morning, we lost a great friend, father, son, musician and man, my longtime bandleader Cleto Escobedo III,” Kimmel wrote on social media. “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,

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