Jimmy Kimmel Live! house band renamed following death of Cleto Escobedo III

Jimmy Kimmel Live! has renamed its house band after the death of Cleto Escobedo III.

The late night show is still reeling from the death of its band leader and host Jimmy Kimmel's childhood friend, who passed away on November 11 aged 59.

This week, the house band - which was previously known as Cleto and Cletones for the first 23 years of the programme's history - has simply been referred to as The Cletones in the title sequence.

The group was founded by Escobedo in 1995, before joining Jimmy Kimmel Live! when it launched eight years later.

Jimmy broke down in tears as he paid tribute to his friend on the show earlier last week.

He opened the show by saying: "We've been on the air for almost 23 years and I've had to do some hard monologues along the way, but this one's the hardest because late last night, early this morning, we lost someone very special who was much too young."

Jimmy then recalled his lifelong friendship with Cleto when they grew up in the same street in Las Vegas.

He added: "Everyone loves Cleto... everyone here at the show.

"We are devastated by this. It's not… It's just not fair.

"He was the nicest, most humble, kind and always funny person.

"There is no one in my life I felt more comfortable with."

Days after his passing, his death certificate revealed Escobedo's immediate cause of death was the rare condition, which happens when the heart can no longer pump enough blood for the body.

In addition, according to a copy of his death certificate obtained by TMZ, vasodilatory shock, disseminated intravascular coagulation and alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver were listed as underlying causes.

Sepsis, graft versus host disease, immunosuppressed, chronic kidney disease and pneumonia, also contributed to his death.

When he announced his friend's death, Jimmy remembered him as "a great friend, father, son, musician and man".

He wrote on Instagram: "Early this morning, we lost a great friend, father, son, musician and man, my longtime bandleader Cleto Escobedo III. 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, children and parents in your prayers."