Brandon Blackstock, a longtime talent manager, former husband of Kelly Clarkson, and onetime stepson of country legend Reba McEntire, has died at the age of 48 following a more than three-year battle with cancer. His family confirmed the news in a statement to USA TODAY on Thursday, August 7, sharing that he “passed away peacefully and was surrounded by family” and expressing gratitude for the public’s thoughts and prayers during “this very difficult time.”
The announcement came just one day after Clarkson, 43, revealed she would postpone her August Las Vegas residency dates to focus on her children in the wake of 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, apologizing to fans for the schedule change and thanking them for their “grace, kindness and understanding.”
Blackstock’s career in the music industry mirrored that of his father, Narvel Blackstock, with whom he co-managed high-profile artists including Clarkson herself, country superstar Blake Shelton, and singer Carly Pearce. He and Clarkson began dating after reconnecting at the 2012 Super Bowl, eventually marrying on October 20, 2013, at Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee. For years, he served as Clarkson’s manager while also managing other top acts, earning a reputation for his strategic approach and dedication to his clients.
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The couple’s marriage ended in a highly publicized divorce, finalized in March 2022, with Clarkson awarded primary custody of their two children: daughter River Rose, now 11, and son Remy Alexander, 9. Blackstock also had two older children, Savannah and Seth, from a previous relationship. In the years following the split, he stepped back from the spotlight, settling in Bozeman, Montana, where he launched the Valley View Rodeo.
Clarkson has been candid about the emotional toll of the breakup, telling USA TODAY in 2023 that she experienced deep anger and grief during the process. “I know a lot of people have gone through grief or a big tragedy like a divorce… but there’s nothing common when you’re going through it,” she said. “It’s horrible… I was angry and really hurt.”
Blackstock’s connection to McEntire began during her 26-year marriage to his father, Narvel, making him the country star’s stepson for more than two decades. Despite the dissolution of that marriage in 2015, McEntire continued to speak warmly of Blackstock, once referring to him as her “son forever.”
His death marks the end of a life deeply intertwined with the country and pop music worlds, both professionally and personally. Remembered as a devoted father, skilled manager, and someone who navigated both public triumphs and private challenges, Blackstock leaves behind his four children, grandson Lake, his parents Narvel Blackstock and Elisa Gayle Ritter, and siblings Shelby, Shawna, and Chassidy.
For Clarkson, their children, and the extended family, the loss is profound — a closing chapter on a relationship that was at times both deeply collaborative and personally complex, but one that was bound together by shared history, family ties, and, ultimately, love for the next generation.