Kelly Clarkson Mourns the Loss of Ex-Husband Brandon Blackstock
On August 7, the country music and television world was stunned by the passing of Brandon Blackstock, former tour manager, music executive, and ex-husband of Kelly Clarkson. Brandon, 47, had been privately battling melanoma for three years — a fight that began around the time of his divorce from Clarkson.
The pair first met in 2006 when Clarkson performed with Rascal Flatts at the ACM Awards, where Brandon was working as the group’s tour manager. They reconnected years later, encouraged by Blake Shelton, and married in 2013. Together they shared two children, River and Remington, and collaborated professionally, with Brandon playing a pivotal role in helping Clarkson secure her role on The Voice and launch The Kelly Clarkson Show.
Blackstock, the son of music manager Narvel Blackstock and former stepson of Reba McEntire, was deeply rooted in the country music industry, managing high-profile artists like Shelton. Despite the couple’s public divorce in 2022, Clarkson is now taking time away from work to focus on their children as they grieve the loss of their father.
Brandon also leaves behind two older children from a previous marriage. His passing adds Clarkson to a difficult list of women in country music who have lost their spouses far too soon, a group that includes Kellie Pickler, Lorrie Morgan, and Kimberly Schlapman.
Melanoma, a dangerous form of skin cancer, carries a high survival rate when detected early — but in Brandon’s case, it proved relentless. The music community remembers him not just for his industry achievements, but for the family and lives he touched along the way.