Reba McEntire’s bond with Brandon Blackstock was special.
The 70-year-old country superstar was the former stepmother to the late talent manager from her previous marriage to ex Narvel Blackstock.
Brandon, who died of cancer this week at the age of 48, had a close bond with McEntire throughout his life.
“Brandon’s been my son forever it seems,” McEntire told Entertainment Tonight in October 2021, years after her divorce from Narvel. “Although he’s my stepson, I still love him like he’s my total — my blood.”
McEntire tied the knot with Narvel in 1989 and the former pair were married for 26 years before divorcing in 2015. The exes share son Shelby Blackstock, 35, as well as Narvel’s three children — Brandon, Chassidy and Shawna — from his previous marriage to Elisa Gayle Ritter.
“I don’t consider Brandon, Chassidy and Shawna [Blackstock] stepchildren,” McEntire told The Boot in 2010. “I claim them all.”
In December 2023, McEntire shared with PEOPLE that her joy comes in part from her kids and their well-being. “I’m at a really good place in my life,” she said at the time. “I’m happy, I’m in love. My kids are all healthy. My family’s healthy. So I’m happy.”
Through the years, Clarkson and McEntire have also opened up about their connection through Brandon. In 2019, the “Fancy” singer appeared as a guest on The Kelly Clarkson Show, where Clarkson said, “I ended up marrying your oldest son and you got stuck with me more,” to which McEntire replied, “Thank goodness, thank goodness.”
When Clarkson and Brandon announced their split in 2020, McEntire chose to stay out of the drama between her chosen son and her longtime friend.
“Kelly and I do talk, we text and I love them both, and so I can’t play favorites because I’ve been a friend of Kelly for a long time,” McEntire told ET in 2021.
For her part, Clarkson said there was no bad blood between her and McEntire in the wake of her tumultuous divorce from Brandon.
“No, not at all. No, I mean we were friends before Brandon and I even got together,” Clarkson said on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen in 2023. “We text each other all the time. I think we’re both women of sound mind that know that life doesn’t work out sometimes. She would know best. Literally the same thing. So yeah, no hard feelings there. Just feelings.”
In March 2024, Brandon posed with his and Clarkson’s kids River, 11, and Remington, 9, in photos at the Houston Rodeo, where the family enjoyed an outing with Brandon’s brother Shelby and Shelby’s mother, McEntire.
The Blackstock family shared the news of Brandon’s death on Aug. 7 after privately living with cancer for three years.
“It is with great sadness that we share the news that Brandon Blackstock has passed away,” a rep for the family told 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.”
Brandon’s dad Narvel 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.
After their 2013 wedding, Brandon — who was also Blake Shelton’s manager — became Clarkson’s manager, too.
On Wednesday, Aug. 6, Clarkson revealed Brandon had been ill, and she postponed her Las Vegas residency to spend time with their children, River and Remington.
“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.”
