Entertainment

Reba McEntire Shares How Kelly Clarkson’s Kids Are Doing After Brandon Blackstock’s Death: ‘We Know God’s Got This’

By Katie Atkinson

Copyright billboard

Reba McEntire Shares How Kelly Clarkson’s Kids Are Doing After Brandon Blackstock’s Death: ‘We Know God’s Got This’

Skip to main content

Kelly Clarkson and Reba McEntire on “The Voice” in 2023.

Trae Patton/NBC/Getty Images

Following the death of music manager Brandon Blackstock last month at age 48, his former stepmother Reba McEntire offered a family update on Sunday’s Emmys red carpet.

McEntire was married to Brandon’s dad, Starstruck co-founder Narvel Blackstock, for 26 years and is the mother of Brandon’s half-brother Shelby. When Brandon married Kelly Clarkson in 2013, McEntire all of a sudden became family with Clarkson, a singer she had performed with before the marital connection. (Reba and Narvel divorced in 2015, while Kelly and Brandon ended their marriage in 2022.) Before his death, Brandon Blackstock had four children: Savannah and Seth from a previous marriage and River Rose and Remy with Clarkson.

Brandon Blackstock’s Daughter Pays Loving Tribute to Dad Who ‘Never Fell Short of Making My Dreams Come True’

Just One Awards Show Won Multiple 2025 Primetime Emmys – And It Wasn’t the Oscars

Cardi B Is Out There Working Hard Promoting ‘Am I the Drama?’ But Daughter Kulture Isn’t Feeling It

At Sunday’s Emmys, an Entertainment Tonight reporter asked McEntire how the whole family is holding up following Brandon’s death.

Trending on Billboard

“Well, we miss him. We miss him every minute,” McEntire said. “The kids are doing well. They’re all bonding together and hanging out with each other and taking it one day at a time. We know God’s got this.”

The reporter also asked how Reba’s son is doing, to which she replied: “Shelby’s doing great, thank you for asking.”

Brandon Blackstock died on Aug. 7 after battling cancer for three years.

Also on Sunday’s Emmys red carpet, McEntire revealed that she’s engaged to her Happy’s Place co-star Rex Linn after dating for five years. McEntire was previously married to Charlie Battles from 1976 to 1987 and to Narvel Blackstock from 1989 to 2015.

When E! News asked her last year if she would consider getting married a third time for Linn, Reba said: “If that’s something he feels totally strong about, that’s fine with me. He’s never been married before. So, if he wants to experience that, I’m OK with that.”

Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox

Want to know what everyone in the music business is talking about?

Get in the know on

Visit Billboard Pro for music business news

Billboard is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2025 Billboard Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Powered by WordPress.com VIP

optional screen reader

Manage Account

Billboard Hot 100™

Billboard 200™

Hits Of The World™

Songs Of The Summer

Year-End Charts

Decade-End Charts

R&B/Hip-Hop

Business News

Record Labels

View All Pro

Songwriters & Producers

Artist Index

Royalty Calculator

Market Watch

Industry Events Calendar

Billboard Español

Cultura y Entretenimiento

Switching Stages

GET ACCESS TODAY