Brandon Blackstock, the longtime music manager and former husband of singer Kelly Clarkson, has died at the age of 48 after a three-year battle with cancer. The news, confirmed by his family on August 7, marks the loss of a well-known figure in the country and pop music industries, as well as a man deeply connected to two of music’s most recognizable names — Clarkson and country legend Reba McEntire.
“It is with great sadness that we share the news that Brandon Blackstock has passed away,” a family spokesperson told People in a statement. “Brandon bravely battled cancer for more than three years. He passed away peacefully and was surrounded by family. We thank you for your thoughts and prayers and ask everyone to respect the family’s privacy during this very difficult time.”
Blackstock, who was father to four children — Savannah, Seth, River, and Remington — became a grandfather in 2022 when his eldest daughter Savannah welcomed a son, Lake. His most publicized relationship was with Clarkson, the first-ever American Idol winner, with whom he shared two children: River Rose, now 11, and Remington Alexander, 9.
The day before his death was announced, Clarkson revealed on Instagram that she would be postponing her Las Vegas residency to focus on her children during their father’s illness. “While I normally keep my personal life private, this past year, my children’s father has been ill and at this moment, I need to be fully present for them,” she wrote, thanking fans for their “grace, kindness and understanding.”
Born into a music industry family, Blackstock followed in the footsteps of his father, Narvel Blackstock, a high-profile talent manager whose clients included McEntire, Blake Shelton, and Clarkson herself. Narvel was married to McEntire from 1989 until 2015, making her Brandon’s stepmother for more than two decades.
Blackstock first met Clarkson in 2006 at a rehearsal for the Academy of Country Music Awards, when he was still married to his first wife, Melissa Ashworth. Years later, the pair reconnected at the 2012 Super Bowl, where Clarkson performed the national anthem. By the end of that year, they were engaged, marrying in October 2013 at Blackberry Farm in Tennessee.
Clarkson has spoken openly about how Blackstock inspired her 2015 ballad “Piece By Piece,” a song that contrasted the security she found in their relationship with the abandonment she felt from her own father during childhood. After their wedding, Blackstock — who was also Shelton’s manager — began managing Clarkson’s career. She later told Marie Claire in 2018, “I wouldn’t have hired Brandon to be my manager if I didn’t see first-hand how great he is at that and how much he cares… he’s really talented at what he does and his mind really does work in a completely different way.”
Despite their professional and personal partnership, the marriage ended when Clarkson filed for divorce in 2020, citing irreconcilable differences. The split was finalized in 2022 after a lengthy and public legal process. Clarkson later reflected on the emotional toll of the breakup, telling interviewers in 2023, “I wanted to make it beautiful. I wanted to make it awesome. I wanted to make it everything it possibly could be, and sometimes that just doesn’t happen.”
Blackstock spent his final years largely out of the public eye, focusing on family and his life in Montana. He is survived by his four children, grandson Lake, father Narvel, mother Elisa Gayle Ritter, and siblings Shelby, Shawna, and Chassidy. His passing leaves a legacy intertwined with both music industry success and the deeply personal chapters of those who knew and loved him.