Today on another encore edition of The Rarified Heir Podcast we are talking to Cleto Escobedo III, who is the bandleader for late night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! We talk to Cleto about his years growing up in Las Vegas with Jimmy when his pop, Cleto Jr. was head of a fantastic live band, Los Blues who performed for years in the lounge of the Sahara Hotel doing sets well into the early morning. A 4am slot might not seem ideal to you but both Jackie Wilson and Sammy Davis Jr. sat in with the band and none other than Elvis Presley watched from the audience.
The younger Cleto tells us stories about his years growing up in Vegas and haunts like Circus Circus, The Golden Steer, The Peppermill and Battista’s Hole in the Wall as well as his dads commitment to his family. Moving from the lounge to backstage butler at Caesar’s Palace, it was none other than Sammy Davis Jr. who took Cleto Jr. under his wing and took care of him. Today, both father and son play in the band Cleto and the Cletones, the house band on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and the stories flow fast and furious about legends they now perform with. Along the way we also hear stories about Paula Abdul, Marc Anthony, Phillips Bailey & more.
It was great talking to Cleto about growing up the child of a celebrity on the Las Vegas Strip and hearing terrific stories about best friends Cleto and Jimmy who still hang together and their families camp together. Everyone has a story. Take a listen.
Hey, love the story about Cleto and the family. I worked with Cleto Jr back in 1977 at Caesars and would love to see him again!