Latest news with #PieceByPiece
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Brandon Blackstock, Kelly Clarkson's Ex-Husband and Talent Manager, Dies at 48 from Cancer
Blackstock was a talent manager and the former stepson of Reba McEntireNEED TO KNOW Brandon Blackstock, a talent manager and Kelly Clarkson's ex-husband, has died; he was 48 Blackstock was dad to four children: Savannah, Seth, River and Remington Before his death, Clarkson revealed in an Aug. 6 Instagram post that "this past year, my children's father has been ill," adding that she would be taking time to focus on River and RemingtonBrandon Blackstock, a talent manager known as both the ex-husband of Kelly Clarkson and the former stepson of Reba McEntire, has died. He was 48. "It is with great sadness that we share the news that Brandon Blackstock has passed away," a rep for the family tells 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." On Wednesday, Aug. 6, Clarkson revealed Blackstock had been ill, and she postponed her Las Vegas residency to spend time with their children, River, 11, and Remington, 9. "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 in a statement, apologizing to fans and expressing appreciation for their "grace, kindness and understanding." Blackstock also had two children from a previous marriage, Savannah and Seth, and became a grandfather in 2022 when his eldest child Savannah gave birth to a son, Lake. In March 2024, Blackstock posed with River and Remington in photos at the Houston Rodeo, where the family enjoyed an outing with Blackstock's brother Shelby and Shelby's mother, Reba McEntire. McEntire was previously married to Blackstock's father, Narvel Blackstock, from 1989 to 2015. Narvel Blackstock previously served as Clarkson's manager, and the singer and her future husband first met at a rehearsal for the Academy of Country Music Awards in May 2006, when Blackstock was still married to ex-wife Melissa Ashworth. "This guy walks by, making everybody laugh. I said, 'I'm gonna end up with him. I know it,' " Clarkson told PEOPLE in 2013. Several years later, they reconnected at the Super Bowl. They were married in October 2013, and her deeply personal 2015 song 'Piece By Piece' was inspired by Blackstock and the stability she felt in their relationship, compared to the abandonment she felt from her father as a child. After their wedding, Blackstock — who was also Blake Shelton's manager — became Clarkson's manager, too. '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 about Blake,' the star told Marie Claire in 2018. 'And the way that [Blake's] career has blown up, I would have hired Brandon regardless. He's really talented at what he does and his mind really does work in a completely different way.' Clarkson ultimately filed for divorce from Blackstock in 2020; they finalized the divorce in 2022. "I think the thing about divorce — especially having it publicized, and people thinking they know the whole thing — the hardest part of that is, like, it wasn't an overnight decision," Clarkson later said of the split 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 is survived by his sons Seth and Remington, daughters Savannah and River, grandson Lake, father Narvel Blackstock, mom Elisa Gayle Ritter and siblings Shelby, Shawna and Chassidy. Read the original article on People
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Brandon Blackstock's career U-turn after Kelly Clarkson divorce before death
Kelly Clarkson's ex-husband Brandon Blackstock died on August 7 at the age of 48 after a battle with cancer, but he had already stepped out of the spotlight Kelly Clarkson's former husband, Brandon Blackstock, has died aged 48 on August 7. However, he chose to step back from the limelight years before his death. Brandon had carved out a career as a talent manager and producer within his father Narvel Blackstock's firm, Starstruck Entertainment. He not only managed Kelly's career but also represented country stars like Blake Shelton and Rascal Flatts. His ties to the music world extended through family as well, with country icon Reba McEntire having been his stepmother. Yet, following his cancer diagnosis three years prior, he had retreated from the music scene. Despite his professional achievements, Brandon was perhaps most famously known as Kelly Clarkson's spouse. The couple tied the knot in 2013 after meeting at a rehearsal for the Academy of Country Music Awards in 2006, where Kelly was working with his father, who was her manager at the time. They reconnected six years later and wed in 2013, sharing two children, while Brandon also had two kids from his previous marriage to Melissa Atworth, reports the Mirror US. Reflecting on her family life, including being a stepmum to Brandon's kids, Kelly shared on a chat show: "I have had teenagers in my house, for like eight years. I had that, we were a blended family, it's real different." Brandon and Kelly's romance initially appeared to be a fairy tale, but it quickly unravelled when Kelly filed for divorce in 2020. The split swiftly became tabloid fodder, followed by a contentious legal wrangle. Following the tumultuous legal proceedings, Brandon seemed to fade from the limelight of the music industry. He shifted his focus towards a rancher lifestyle, and just months before his passing, he was seen with family, including Reba McEntire, at the Houston Rodeo. His family announced his passing on Thursday with a heartfelt statement: "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." Kelly previously opened up about her past relationship with Brandon. In 2024, she told how they started dating in early 2012 and married in Walland, Tennessee, in October the following year. At the time, Kelly candidly referred to her 2015 song Piece By Piece, written in honour of her then husband, who she said gave her security her father never did. She said: "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."
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Kelly Clarkson's last poignant interview about Brandon Blackstock resurfaces
Brandon Blackstock, Kelly Clarkson's ex-husband and father to their children, died of cancer on Thursday, and tributes have sinced poured in to the star, from Fort Worth, Texas One of Kelly Clarkson's last interviews about ex-husband Brandon Blackstock has resurfaced following the talent manager's death. The three-time Grammy Award winner, who was married to Brandon for nine years until their divorce in 2022, gushed about her ex in the chat with People. However, the 43-year-old singer also admitted "love is hard" in the fascinating interview in January last year, around 10 months after the messy divorce had been finalised. Brandon, who had two children with Kelly, died on Thursday after a journey with cancer. The passing came hours after Kelly postponed her Studio Session concerts in Las Vegas, writing on Instagram: "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." While Kelly is as yet to address Brandon's death publicly, comments from the 2024 interview about her former spouse have resurfaced. She told how they started dating in early 2012 and married in Walland, Tennessee, in October of the following year. Kelly candidly said, in the 2024 interview, marriage was particularly important for Brandon, who became her manager during their relationship. In the piece, Kelly referred to the 2015 song Piece By Piece, written in honour of her then husband, who she said gave her security her father never did. But the mum of two, originally from Fort Worth, Texas, added: "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." A representative for the family yesterday told PEOPLE in a statement that Brandon had been diagnosed with cancer more than three years ago. They said in a statement: "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." The talent boss shared River Rose, 11, and Remington 'Remy' Alexander, nine, with Kelly and also had two children from a previous marriage. In 2022, he became a grandfather after his eldest daughter gave birth to a son.
