Kelly Clarkson holds back tears singing poignant song just weeks before ex-husband's death
The 43-year-old singer — whose future talk show plans have been revealed — was performing at her Studio Sessions residency in Las Vegas on July 26 when her eyes swelled with emotion.
The moment came as she prepared to sing the latest iteration of her 2015 song Piece by Piece.
She attempted to pull herself together as she declared, 'Compartmentalization!'
And the mother-of-two — who shared daughter River, 11, and son Remy, nine with her ex — tearfully told fans that after changing the lyrics in the wake of her divorce in 2023, she has since reworked the song again.
'I've never rewritten a song more and I probably never will,' she told to fans, adding, 'I wrote this song with a lot of hope and projection for happiness and better than what was happening.
'And then, well, life set in and I had to change the lyrics. Everybody was like, "Wait, why aren't you singing this song?" And I was like, "Have you heard the lyrics?" That's fun. Embarrassing.'
The song was initially penned with Kelly's estranged father in mind as she sang about how Blackstock was a better father and partner.
She continued her explanation, 'I ended up changing the lyrics. We did it one time, I did a residency here, and then I was like, "You know what, that sounded a little angry," so I just wanted to explain how it feels now. I'm 43. I've done some therapy, and I changed the lyrics now and I think it's perfect. I promise. I'm not gonna change it again.'
In 2023, as she and Brandon were in the throes of their divorce, Clarkson restructured the lyrics, singing, 'I just walk away when they ask for money. I take care of me 'cause I love me. Piece by piece I restored my faith that a heart can still beat even when it breaks.'
And this year she sang, 'I'm learning everyday how to love me. I let go of the shame that you taught me. Piece by piece I restored the faith that a heart can still beat even if it breaks.'
The American Idol winner told her audience, 'It just represents, kind of, I don't know... I feel like we grow up, right? And this is the more grown up version of it.'
But she got choked up, stating, 'I'm really trying to pull it together,' before she eventually said, 'Screw it, let's just sing it. This is Piece by Piece.'
The fate of Kelly eponymous talk show was revealed following her ex-husband's tragic death at age 48 from the skin cancer melanoma.
Despite the family tragedy, the Emmy-winning talk show will return for season seven in September, TMZ reported on Friday.
In addition to Kelly and their kids, the talent manager is also survived by his pregnant daughter Savannah, 23, and son Seth with ex-wife Melissa Ashworth.
A representative for the family confirmed Blackstock's death in a statement on Thursday which read: '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. 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.'
In a statement shared online on Wednesday, Clarkson revealed a health-related issue with Blackstock forced her to postpone her Las Vegas residency.
'Unfortunately, I need to postpone the remainder of the August Studio Session dates in Las Vegas,' she wrote.
'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.
'I am sincerely sorry to everyone who bought tickets to the shows and I so appreciate your grace, kindness and understanding,' she concluded.
The Kelly Clarkson Show viewers wondered about the future of the show after the host's various unexplained absences earlier this year.
Clarkson and Blackstock began dating in 2012 and tied the knot the following year.
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Clarkson's relationship with Blackstock began in 2012, and the two tied the knot the following year. They had both a romantic and professional relationship at first, as her husband also served as her manager - pictured 2018 In 2022, the Moment Like This singer had agreed to pay her ex-husband a $1.3 million lump sum as part of their divorce settlement. They also agreed that Clarkson would pay Blackstock $45,601 per month in child support payments. On top of that, she had to pay Blackstock $115,000 per month for spousal support, though those payments were set to end in January of last year. The exes agreed to share joint custody of River and Remington, but the children would primarily live in Los Angeles with their mother and would visit Blackstock at his home in Montana for one weekend per month. At the time, he was paying Clarkson rent on the ranch that they had shared in Montana before he was scheduled to move out in June 2022. 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Because I've been through a couple divorces in my family, I just don't like to put any weight on it.' The Miss Independent hitmaker also believes that 'love is not forever'. Kelly explained: 'I've always known that love is hard. 'For me, love has always come with this elephant in the room of sadness. I've known love is not forever. I don't mean that to sound depressing, but I think we put a lot of pressure on that word. 'Sometimes love is looking at someone and going, 'This is not good for you. This is not good for me.' That's a hard thing to face. But when you do, I think you grow.'
