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Fox News
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Kelly Clarkson's late ex Brandon Blackstock valued cowboy way of life in emotional obituary
Brandon Blackstock, Kelly Clarkson's ex-husband, was remembered for pursuing the "cowboy way of life he always wanted to live" in an obituary published Tuesday. Blackstock died Aug. 7 after a "brave and courageous" three-year battle with cancer. He was 48. The talent manager, who was married to Clarkson for seven years before their divorce was finalized in 2022, played "important roles in shaping the careers of many larger-than-life celebrities," according to the eulogy. "In his early adult years, Brandon moved to Nashville and began his career in the music business," the obit stated. "He played important roles in shaping the careers of many larger-than-life celebrities and left a lasting impact on everyone who met him. He always had his hand out to pull others up the ladder, to open a door, to make a connection. Many industry insiders have Brandon Blackstock to thank for their opportunities." Following more than two decades in the music business, "Brandon found his way back to the mountains and the cowboy way of life he always wanted to live. He found a homestead and a love in Butte, Montana." "Brandon didn't do anything halfway," the announcement stated. "He charged into life with both guns blazing. He was a cowboy … and valued the cowboy way of life. He drove a big truck, rode a good horse, and removed his hat when he introduced himself. He was a sharpshooter, a man's man, and a true gentleman. He loved a hard day's work that started early and finished late." The notice continued, "He had no schedule for when it was time for a cold Coors Light, and his Wrangler jeans were no stranger to a Copenhagen can ring. He rode bulls, but he did not take any. There were no elk, deer, or fish who weren't slightly afraid of him. He was honest and earnest. He was loyal, hardworking, and loved hard. "But never did his star shine brighter than in his role as a father. Nothing mattered to Brandon more than his four beautiful children, Savannah, Seth, River, and Remy. To say he was devoted seems cliché. It feels like an overused word, but it is the correct word. He was a devoted father. His four children were and will always be his greatest love and his greatest legacy." While Clarkson was not named in the obituary, Brandon's "beautiful and loving partner" Brittney Marie Jones helped create their Montana ranch. "Brandon, along with his beautiful and loving partner in life and business, Brittney Marie Jones, started building a life, building companies, and working tirelessly to create Headwaters Livestock Auction and what will live on as his legacy, The Valley View Rodeo in Bozeman, Montana," the obituary said. Blackstock's cause of death was due to melanoma, a form of skin cancer, Fox News Digital confirmed. His manner of death was listed as natural causes. "It is with great sadness that we share the news that Brandon Blackstock has passed away," a representative for the family told Fox News Digital 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." Clarkson and Blackstock were married in 2013, but they knew each other previously as Blackstock's father, Narvel Blackstock, owns the music management company that represented Clarkson beginning in 2007. Blackstock was Clarkson's manager from 2017 until their split in 2020. "Kelly remained protective of him when she found out he was sick," a source told People magazine. "She's always kept things classy, even when it became clear earlier this year that Brandon was not doing well. She's been devastated for the kids." While their tumultuous divorce played out in the public eye, Clarkson's focus has always been on maintaining stability for their two children, River Rose and Remington Alexander. "The divorce was incredibly difficult for her – messy, painful and something she felt terrible about," the source told the outlet. "But she never wanted her kids to be caught in the crossfire. She never spoke poorly about Brandon to them."
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kelly Clarkson tears up performing 'Piece by Piece' with lyric change 12 days before Brandon Blackstock's death
Blackstock died Aug. 7 from cancer. Kelly Clarkson performed an emotionally charged rendition of "Piece by Piece" not long before the death of Brandon Blackstock, her ex-husband and father of her two children. Blackstock, a former talent manager, died Aug. 7 at 48 following a three-year battle with cancer. Clarkson kept the family matter private, but a resurfaced clip from the July 26 show of the Grammy winner's now-postponed Las Vegas residency appears to allude to the tolls of the diagnosis. Clarkson broke down in tears before a performance of "Piece by Piece," the 2015 ballad about Blackstock released two years into their marriage. The song reads as a letter to her estranged father and dives into how Blackstock "restored [her] faith" that "a man can be kind and a father could stay," per the original lyrics. 'I've never rewritten a song more and I probably never will,' Clarkson told the audience before the latest rendition. '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?'" Clarkson first changed the lyrics in 2023, a year after her divorce from Blackstock was finalized. "We did it one time, I did a residency here, and then I was like, 'You know what, that sounded a little angry,'" she relationship with the lyrics and its many iterations, Clarkson explained, has since changed. "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. Screw it, let's just sing it." Clarkson separated from Blackstock in 2020 after nearly seven years of marriage. The most updated version of the ballad features the new addition: 'I'm learning every day 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 singer-songwriter postponed the remainder of her Vegas residency last week, sharing in a statement on Aug. 6 that Blackstock had been ill and that she needed to be present for their children, daughter River Rose, 11, and son Remington Alexander, 9. The dates were moved to late July 2026. "I am sincerely sorry to everyone who bought tickets to the shows, and I so appreciate your grace, kindness, and understanding,' Clarkson said. Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Brandon Blackstock's Kids: Kelly Clarkson's Ex-Husband Was Father to Savannah, Seth, River, and Remy
Brandon Blackstock, the late ex-husband of singer Kelly Clarkson, was a father of four. The talent manager died on August 7 after a private cancer diagnosis. Blackstock was 48 years old. 'It is with great sadness that we share the news that Brandon Blackstock has passed away,' Blackstock's management company, Starstruck, said in a statement posted to Instagram. '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.' Brandon Blackstock Shared 2 Children With His First Wife Melissa Ashworth Blackstock was married to Melissa Ashworth from 2001 to 2012. They shared two kids, Savannah, born in 2002, and Seth, born in 2006. In 2015, Blackstock's son Seth joined his famous stepmom onstage at her concert in Hershey, PA, to dance to her mashup of 'Walk Away' and the Bruno Mars hit "Uptown Funk,' per Taste of Country. Blackstock also became a grandparent in January 2022 when his daughter, Savannah, welcomed her first child, a son named Lake Lee, with Quentin Lee, per Us Weekly. Savannah and Lee married in September 2023, according to People magazine, and are expecting a baby girl in January 2026. Savannah announced her pregnancy news one month before her father's death. Brandon Blackstock had 2 Kids With Kelly Clarkson Blackstock was married to Kelly Clarkson from 2013 to 2022. On a 2023 episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, Clarkson admitted that she never wanted kids until she met Blackstock's children, Savannah and Seth. "I never wanted kids… before I met my ex, and then he had kids, and I was like, 'Oh this is kind of cool,'' she admitted. Clarkson welcomed children River Rose, 11, and Remy, 9, with her husband. Earlier this year, Clarkson interviewed her kids on The Kelly Clarkson Show. Her son Remy also did a viral performance of Frank Sinatra's "My Way' on the NBC chatfest. Hours before Blackstock's death was announced, Clarkson shared an Instagram post to reveal that she had to postpone the remainder of her August Studio Session dates at the Colosseum at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas so she could be with her children. '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 on August Blackstock's Kids: Kelly Clarkson's Ex-Husband Was Father to Savannah, Seth, River, and Remy first appeared on Men's Journal on Aug 7, 2025 Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Brandon Blackstock Dies Days After Learning He Would Become a Grandfather Again
Brandon Blackstock Dies Days After Learning He Would Become a Grandfather Again originally appeared on Parade. Brandon Blackstock, a talent manager and the ex-husband of singer Kelly Clarkson, was preparing to celebrate becoming a grandfather for the second time before his untimely death at age 48. His daughter, Savannah Blackstock, revealed her second pregnancy in July 2025, just weeks before her father's death, adding a poignant note to the family's grief. According to a family statement, Blackstock died on August 7, 2025, following a private three-year battle with cancer, surrounded by loved Blackstock's daughter from his first marriage, had previously announced her first pregnancy in September 2021, welcoming son Lake in January 2022. Clarkson and Blackstock were married from 2013 to 2020, though their divorce was finalized in 2022, and share two children: daughter River Rose, 11, and son Remington Alexander, 9. Blackstock also had a son, Seth, from his previous marriage. In a show of support amid the difficult circumstances, Clarkson announced on August 6, 2025, that she was postponing the remaining dates of her Las Vegas residency to be with their children while Blackstock was ill. While the days ahead will undoubtedly be marked by mourning, the announcement of Savannah's pregnancy offers a touching moment of continuity for the Blackstock family. As they navigate this loss together, their growing family stands as a quiet reminder of the love, resilience, and legacy Brandon Blackstock leaves behind. Brandon Blackstock Dies Days After Learning He Would Become a Grandfather Again first appeared on Parade on Aug 7, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 7, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Brandon Blackstock, Kelly Clarkson's ex-husband, dead at 48 after cancer battle
Brandon Blackstock, a talent manager and Kelly Clarkson's ex-husband as well as Reba McEntire's stepson, has died at 48 after a battle with cancer. Blackstock's family confirmed the death in a statement to USA TODAY on Thursday, Aug. 7. "It is with great sadness that we share the news that Brandon Blackstock has passed away," the statement read. The news comes one day after Clarkson, 43, announced on social media that the August dates of her Las Vegas residency will be postponed while she tends to her family. USA TODAY has reached out to Clarkson's reps for comment. says ex-husband is ill, postpones Vegas residency dates Brandon Blackstock's cancer battle Blackstock "bravely battled cancer for more than three years. He passed away peacefully and was surrounded by family," the family statement said. The statement continued: "We thank you for your thoughts and prayers and ask everyone to respect the family's privacy during this very difficult time." Blackstock was the first-ever "American Idol" winner's longtime manager. Blackstock and Clarkson tied the knot Oct. 20 at Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee, the genre-bending pop star later tweeting about their nuptials. Country superstar Reba was married to Blackstock's father, Narvel Blackstock, for 26 years. In addition to Clarkson, he also helped manage clients with his dad including genre superstars Blake Shelton and Carly Pearce. When did Kelly Clarkson get divorced? The couple wed in 2013, and their divorce was finalized in March 2022. The details of the divorce repeatedly made headlines until it was settled. Clarkson was awarded primary custody of the children in November 2020. Clarkson and Blackstock share daughter River Rose, 11, and son Remy Alexander, 9. He also had another son Seth and daughter Savannah. Since his divorce took over the tabloids five years ago, Blackstock retreated to Bozeman, Montana, and founded Valley View Rodeo. In 2023, Clarkson addressed her divorce from Blackstock during an interview with USA TODAY and her "anger" stemming from their split. "I was very, very angry. I know a lot of people have gone through grief or a big tragedy like a divorce and I know it's a common thing, unfortunately," Clarkson said. "But there's nothing common when you're going through it. "It's very foreign, it's horrible. A lot of time stupid, stupid (stuff) gets said and you just can't believe it. I was angry and really hurt," she added. Blackstock's death comes after Clarkson on Wednesday, Aug. 6, announced she would be stepping away from her Vegas residency amid his 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 about her Kelly Clarkson: Studio Sessions shows at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. Clarkson apologized to ticketholders, adding, "I appreciate your grace, kindness and understanding." In the spring, the "Since U Been Gone" singer was also absent intermittently from "The Kelly Clarkson Show," though she didn't explain the absence in detail. Contributing: Melissa Rugierri This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brandon Blackstock dead: Kelly Clarkson's ex, Reba's stepson was 48
