Reba McEntire Opens Up About the Loss of Her Stepson Brandon Blackstock — “He’ll Always Be Part of My Heart”
Nashville, Tennessee — Country music legend Reba McEntire has spoken publicly for the first time about the death of her beloved stepson Brandon Blackstock, who passed away on August 7 at the age of 48 following a private battle with cancer. In an emotional reflection shared with fans, Reba described Brandon as “one of the brightest, funniest souls” she ever knew and said his loss has left “a silence in the family that can never be filled.”
Brandon, the son of Reba’s former husband and longtime manager Narvel Blackstock, was well known in both the music and entertainment worlds — not only as a successful talent manager but also as the former husband of singer Kelly Clarkson, with whom he shared two children.
Speaking from her home in Nashville, Reba said, “Brandon came into my life when he was just a boy, and I loved him like he was my own. We laughed a lot, we argued sometimes, but there was always love. He had that mischievous grin — the one that could light up any room.”
She shared tender memories of their early years together as a blended family, recalling Sunday dinners, family road trips, and long evenings spent talking about music and life. “He always had a joke ready, always found a way to make people laugh,” Reba said. “Even in tough times, he was the one cracking a smile and saying, ‘It’ll be alright.’ That was just who he was.”
On Instagram, Reba posted a touching tribute alongside a photo of her and Brandon from years past, writing: “There are some goodbyes you never see coming, and some hearts you never stop missing. Brandon, you brought laughter into our lives and joy to everyone who knew you. I’ll love you forever, kiddo.”
Friends and fans from across the music industry poured in with condolences and messages of support. Kelly Clarkson, Brandon’s ex-wife, reportedly shared her own quiet tribute with a single line: “We’ll meet again, my friend.”
Reba, known for her strength and resilience, said she’s finding comfort in faith and in the memories they made as a family. “Grief is love with nowhere to go,” she said softly. “So I just keep singing — for him, for all of us.”
The singer ended her message with words that reflect both sorrow and gratitude: “Life doesn’t stop breaking your heart, but it also keeps giving you reasons to keep going. Brandon gave me a lot of those reasons.”
As family, friends, and fans remember Brandon Blackstock, they also celebrate the legacy of warmth, humor, and compassion he leaves behind — a legacy carried forward in the music, the laughter, and the love that Reba McEntire continues to share with the world.