Reba McEntire addresses ex-stepson Brandon Blackstock's death for first time ahead of funeral
The country music legend paid tribute to her late former stepson, Brandon Blackstock, on Monday, Aug. 11, for the first time following his shocking death last week at 48.
'Very well said Shelby,' McEntire, 70, wrote in the comments of an Instagram carousel shared by her son and Brandon's half-brother, Shelby Blackstock. 'Yes we will miss him so much.'
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7 Reba McEntire at Radio City Music Hall in Midtown, Manhattan on May 12, 2025.
GC Images
7 Reba McEntire shared this comment on Instagram after Brandon Blackstock's passing.
Instagram/@reba
McEntire became the late talent manager's stepmom when she married his father, Narvel Blackstock, in 1989.
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Although the 'Fancy' singer and Brandon's dad later divorced in 2015, she and Kelly Clarkson's ex-husband remained close, and McEntire was still identified as a 'stepparent' in his obituary.
Brandon passed away from melanoma, a rare form of skin cancer, on Aug. 7. His family announced the heartbreaking news in a statement obtained by The Post.
7 Narvel Blackstock, Reba McEntire, Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort and Spa in Phoenix, Arizona, on March 28, 2015.
Michael Buckner
'It is with great sadness that we share the news that Brandon Blackstock has passed away. Brandon bravely battled cancer for more than three years,' they said.
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'He passed away peacefully and was surrounded by family,' his loved ones added. 'We thank you for your thoughts and prayers and ask everyone to respect the family's privacy during this very difficult time.'
Insiders later shared how McEntire was there for her former stepson before his passing.
7 Although Reba McEntire and Narvel Blackstock divorced in 2015, she and Brandon remained close.
Instagram/shelbyblackstock
'Reba has spent more time with the Blackstock crew in the past year than in years prior,' an insider told Us Weekly in an interview published one day after Brandon's death.
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The Queen of Country also opened up about how much she 'loved' Brandon back in 2021 when he and Clarkson, 43, were in the middle of their infamous and nasty divorce battle.
'Brandon's been my son forever, it seems,' she told Entertainment Tonight at the time. 'Although he's my stepson, I still love him like he's my total — my blood, so I'm praying for them both because I love them both.'
7 Brandon Blackstock and Kelly Clarkson attend the 60th annual Grammy Awards at Madison Square Garden in New York City on January 28, 2018.
Getty Images for NARAS
Brandon and the 'Since U Been Gone' singer married in 2013, and they had two children together: daughter River, 11, and son Remington, 9.
Clarkson ultimately filed for divorce in 2020, and the pair settled in 2022.
Following Brandon's passing, his half-brother and McEntire's son, Shelby Blackstock, took to Instagram to remember the late talent manager.
7 Narvel Blackstock and Reba McEntire at the American Country Countdown Awards at Music City Center in Nashville, Tennessee, on December 15, 2014.
Jason Merritt
McEntire and Brandon's father welcomed Shelby, now 35, in 1990.
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'Words cannot begin to capture the tremendous loss our family has endured,' the race car driver wrote alongside several touching pictures of Brandon. 'Yesterday, we lost a brother, a father, a grandfather, and a son.'
'Brandon Blackstock was an irreplaceable part of our family—funny, bright, and full of life—and he will be deeply missed,' McEntire's son continued. 'We will always miss you, Brandon, and we will never stop loving, remembering and celebrating you.'
7 Brandon Blackstock and Kelly Clarkson attend Billboard's Women in Music event in Hollywood, California, on November 30, 2017.
Getty Images for FIJI Water
Besides the two children he had with Clarkson, Brandon shared daughter Savannah, 23, and son Seth, 18, with his first wife, Melissa Ashworth.
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Seth remembered his late father in an emotional Instagram post of his own over the weekend.
'I lost my hero yesterday,' Seth began Saturday. 'Words can't describe how proud of you I am on raising me and your 3 other kids.'
'You were a father, a son, a brother, and most importantly my best friend,' he added. 'You'll have to watch me grow up from a Birds Eye view now but that's ok with me.'
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Reba McEntire has broken her silence. The country music legend paid tribute to her late former stepson, Brandon Blackstock, on Monday, Aug. 11, for the first time following his shocking death last week at 48. 'Very well said Shelby,' McEntire, 70, wrote in the comments of an Instagram carousel shared by her son and Brandon's half-brother, Shelby Blackstock. 'Yes we will miss him so much.' Advertisement 7 Reba McEntire at Radio City Music Hall in Midtown, Manhattan on May 12, 2025. GC Images 7 Reba McEntire shared this comment on Instagram after Brandon Blackstock's passing. Instagram/@reba McEntire became the late talent manager's stepmom when she married his father, Narvel Blackstock, in 1989. Advertisement Although the 'Fancy' singer and Brandon's dad later divorced in 2015, she and Kelly Clarkson's ex-husband remained close, and McEntire was still identified as a 'stepparent' in his obituary. Brandon passed away from melanoma, a rare form of skin cancer, on Aug. 7. His family announced the heartbreaking news in a statement obtained by The Post. 7 Narvel Blackstock, Reba McEntire, Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort and Spa in Phoenix, Arizona, on March 28, 2015. Michael Buckner 'It is with great sadness that we share the news that Brandon Blackstock has passed away. Brandon bravely battled cancer for more than three years,' they said. Advertisement 'He passed away peacefully and was surrounded by family,' his loved ones added. 'We thank you for your thoughts and prayers and ask everyone to respect the family's privacy during this very difficult time.' Insiders later shared how McEntire was there for her former stepson before his passing. 7 Although Reba McEntire and Narvel Blackstock divorced in 2015, she and Brandon remained close. Instagram/shelbyblackstock 'Reba has spent more time with the Blackstock crew in the past year than in years prior,' an insider told Us Weekly in an interview published one day after Brandon's death. Advertisement The Queen of Country also opened up about how much she 'loved' Brandon back in 2021 when he and Clarkson, 43, were in the middle of their infamous and nasty divorce battle. 'Brandon's been my son forever, it seems,' she told Entertainment Tonight at the time. 'Although he's my stepson, I still love him like he's my total — my blood, so I'm praying for them both because I love them both.' 7 Brandon Blackstock and Kelly Clarkson attend the 60th annual Grammy Awards at Madison Square Garden in New York City on January 28, 2018. Getty Images for NARAS Brandon and the 'Since U Been Gone' singer married in 2013, and they had two children together: daughter River, 11, and son Remington, 9. Clarkson ultimately filed for divorce in 2020, and the pair settled in 2022. Following Brandon's passing, his half-brother and McEntire's son, Shelby Blackstock, took to Instagram to remember the late talent manager. 7 Narvel Blackstock and Reba McEntire at the American Country Countdown Awards at Music City Center in Nashville, Tennessee, on December 15, 2014. Jason Merritt McEntire and Brandon's father welcomed Shelby, now 35, in 1990. Advertisement 'Words cannot begin to capture the tremendous loss our family has endured,' the race car driver wrote alongside several touching pictures of Brandon. 'Yesterday, we lost a brother, a father, a grandfather, and a son.' 'Brandon Blackstock was an irreplaceable part of our family—funny, bright, and full of life—and he will be deeply missed,' McEntire's son continued. 'We will always miss you, Brandon, and we will never stop loving, remembering and celebrating you.' 7 Brandon Blackstock and Kelly Clarkson attend Billboard's Women in Music event in Hollywood, California, on November 30, 2017. Getty Images for FIJI Water Besides the two children he had with Clarkson, Brandon shared daughter Savannah, 23, and son Seth, 18, with his first wife, Melissa Ashworth. Advertisement Seth remembered his late father in an emotional Instagram post of his own over the weekend. 'I lost my hero yesterday,' Seth began Saturday. 'Words can't describe how proud of you I am on raising me and your 3 other kids.' 'You were a father, a son, a brother, and most importantly my best friend,' he added. 'You'll have to watch me grow up from a Birds Eye view now but that's ok with me.'
