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Brandon Blackstock, Talent Manager and Reba McEntire’s Stepson, Dies at 48

Nashville, Tennessee – Brandon Blackstock, a talent manager and the former stepson of country music star Reba McEntire, has died at the age of 48. He passed away after a long battle with cancer.
A family representative confirmed the news in a statement to PEOPLE, saying, “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.”
On August 6, just a day before his passing, singer Kelly Clarkson revealed that Blackstock had been ill. She postponed her Las Vegas residency to focus on their two children, River, age 11, and Remington, age 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,” Clarkson stated.
Brandon Blackstock had two children, Savannah and Seth, from a previous marriage and welcomed his first grandchild, Lake, in 2022. In March 2024, Blackstock was seen spending time with River and Remington at a family outing that included McEntire.
Reba McEntire was married to Brandon’s father, Narvel Blackstock, from 1989 to 2015. Narvel once managed Clarkson before she and Brandon started dating. The couple first met in 2006 during a rehearsal for the Academy of Country Music Awards but did not reconnect romantically until 2012. They were married in October 2013.
Brandon also served as a manager for Clarkson until their split in 2020 and the finalization of their divorce in 2022. Clarkson expressed the complexities of their divorce publicly in 2023, stating that it was not an overnight decision.
Brandon Blackstock is survived by his four children, his father Narvel, and his siblings, Shelby, Shawna, and Chassidy.