For the first time in the series’ two-decade run, the house band was billed simply as “The Cletones,” dropping Cleto Escobedo III’s name from the longtime Cleto and the Cletones moniker following his death last Tuesday.

The move followed an emotional week for the ABC late-night franchise. On the day Escobedo died, Jimmy Kimmel opened the show with a deeply personal remembrance that traced their friendship back nearly five decades, to the Spring Valley neighborhood of Las Vegas, where the two met as grade-schoolers. Kimmel recounted how they were inseparable throughout childhood—spending entire summers together, sharing obsessions from baseball to David Letterman—and developing the shorthand that later shaped their on-air dynamic.

Following last Tuesday night’s broadcast, the show paused production for the remainder of the week.

Escobedo had been with Jimmy Kimmel Live! since its 2003 premiere and was a foundational figure both on stage and behind the scenes. His saxophone-playing, leadership, and long friendship with Kimmel were central to the show’s identity, making tonight’s revised introduction a meaningful marker of transition.

ABC has not announced whether additional changes are planned for the show’s music department and/or who might step into a leadership role for the renamed ensemble. For now, the streamlined billing allows the show to move forward while acknowledging the absence of the bandleader who helped shape its sound from day one.