Reba McEntire’s Stepson, Brandon Blackstock, Died In 2025
Reba McEntire and her family suffered a heartbreaking loss last year, as her stepson, Brandon Blackstock, passed away following a private battle with cancer.
The country music superstar and actress was married to Brandon’s father, Narvel Blackstock, from 1989 to 2015. Since Brandon was so young when Narvel and Reba married, she played a huge role in raising him, and treated him as her son.
Her love for Brandon didn’t fade after she and Narvel divorced. They remained close until Brandon’s death on August 7, 2025.
“His struggle is over and he is in eternal peace in God’s presence,” Reba shared after Brandon’s passing. “There is no one else like him, and I’m thankful for the time we had together. His legacy and laughter will be carried on through his family. Rest in peace cowboy. Happy trails to you til we meet again.”
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Brandon had four children: Savannah, Seth, River, and Remington. He shared River and Remington with Kelly Clarkson, to whom he was married from 2013 to 2020.
Recently, Kelly shared an update on how her kids have been coping, saying:
“There’s been a lot [going on] for our family recently, and so I have allowed my kids to sleep with me quite a bit. It’s my two dogs, my two kids and me. It’s a lot.”
She added, “It‘s been really special, though, because…the conversations you have during that time are pretty cute. So that’s probably my favorite time of day.“
Reba Shares How Brandon’s Kids Have Been Doing Lately
Entertainment Tonight caught up with Reba on the red carpet at the 2026 Grammy Awards. During their conversation, Reba provided an update on how Kelly and her children have been doing after Brandon’s death.
“Everybody’s hanging in there,” Reba said. “We miss Brandon so much. He was so much life, joy, love. He was a prankster and a character. And we all have a big text chain that we stay together and talk about him and remember him.“
Watch Reba’s interview below.
Reba honored Brandon at the Grammys later that night. She, Lukas Nelson, and Brandy Clark delivered the “In Memoriam” performance during the ceremony.
They sang an updated rendition of “Trailblazer,” which Reba originally released with Miranda Lambert and Lainey Wilson. The song was nominated for the Best Country Duo/Group Performance award, but lost to Shaboozey and Jelly Roll’s “Amen.”
The “In Memoriam” performance honored those we lost in the music community within the past year, including songwriter Brett James, Grand Ole Opry legend Jeannie Seely, and Raul Malo of the Mavericks.
Brandon was also recognized during the tribute, since he worked as a talent manager for artists such as Blake Shelton, Rascal Flatts, and Kelly Clarkson (during their marriage). Hearing Reba sing in his honor was undoubtedly one of the most emotional moments at the Grammys.
Watch a portion of the “In Memoriam” performance in the video below.
@bootsandhearts Can someone pass me a tissue? Thanks 🥲 #bootsandhearts #musicfestival #rebamcentire #grammys #inmemoriam ♬ original sound – Boots and Hearts