Originally appeared on E! Online
New information surrounding the passing of Jimmy Kimmel’s band leader has been uncovered.
Less than a week after he died at age 59, Cleto Escobedo III’s immediate cause of death was revealed to be cardiogenic shock, a condition where the heart is unable to pump enough blood through the body, according to a death certificate obtained by TMZ Nov. 14.
Additionally, the document cited underlying causes as vasodilatory shock—or blood vessel dilation—and disseminated intravascular coagulation, which is blood clotting that blocks blood flow to organs, per the outlet.
And blood-related conditions weren’t the only health issues named in the certificate. Alcoholic cirrhosis—or advanced liver damage caused by excessive, long-term alcohol consumption—was also determined to be a contributor to his passing, as well as sepsis, graft versus host disease, immunosuppressed, chronic kidney disease and pneumonia, according to TMZ.
Escobedo’s tragic passing was first announced on Nov. 11, when Kimmel shared a heartbreaking tribute to the musician, who served as the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” band leader since the show’s debut in 2003.
PHOTOS Celebrity Deaths: 2025’s Fallen Stars
“Early this morning, we lost a great friend, father, son, musician and man, my longtime bandleader Cleto Escobedo III,” Kimmel wrote on Instagram at the time. “To say that we are heartbroken is an understatement.”
Shortly after, the TV personality tearfully reflected on his lifelong friendship with the instrumentalist, who he met when he was 9 years old in their hometown of Las Vegas.
“We had so many adventures. We would laugh so hard,” Kimmel, 57, said during the Nov. 11 episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” “We had our own language that almost no one else understood. We didn’t even have to say anything. We would sit here in rehearsal every day. We didn’t have to look at each other.”
Since then, the comedian has also shared how he plans to keep Escobedo’s legacy alive, noting that he’s starting a fund for the medical team that gave the instrumentalist “incredible care” during his health battle and The Animal Foundation in Las Vegas in honor of his late friend’s “love of animals.”
As Kimmel wrote on Instagram Nov. 14, “Cleto was always kind and eager to help others.”
PHOTOSCleto Escobedo III, 2025
Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and Seth Meyers are celebrating Jimmy Kimmel’s return to TV. On Sept 22, the Walt Disney Company announced in a statement that after “having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy” the decision was reached to bring back “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on Tuesday following the show’s suspension over comments the comedian made the about the man accused of fatally shooting Charlie Kirk.
