Two months after Brandon Blackstock died at the age of 48, Reba McEntire opened up about her sweet connection with her former stepson.
The Voice coach called her and Blackstock’s relationship “precious” in an interview with People published on Tuesday, October 21. “I absolutely loved that child. He came into my life, I guess he was 4 years old,” she shared. “Then when Narvel and I got married, he was 13, 14.”
McEntire was married to Brandon’s father, Narvel Blackstock, from 1989 to 2015. Brandon was one of three kids Narvel shared with his ex-wife Elisa Gayle Ritter, including daughters Chassidy and Shawna. McEntire welcomed her own son with Narvel, Shelby, in 1990.
“Along with his mom and dad, I helped raise him, along with [step kids] Shawna and Chassidy,” McEntire told the outlet. “They were my kids.”
Brandon was a father of four himself, sharing his daughter Savannah, 23, and son Seth, 18, with his first wife, Melissa Ashworth. The talent manager also shared two children with his ex-wife Kelly Clarkson — daughter River, 11, and son Remy, 9.
Narvel Blackstock, Reba McEntire, Kelly Clarkson, and Brandon Blackstock in 2015 (Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Celebrity Fight Night)
When asked about Brandon’s home life, McEntire told the outlet he was “so funny” and loved to “pull pranks” on others. “He loved to scare people,” she recalled. “We’d be at the office there at Starstruck [which was owned by Narvel] in Nashville and I’d be sitting at my desk and I’d see Penny Chubb [a Starstruck Entertainment employee] walk by going to the lady’s room, and then here comes Brandon. He’d hide behind the pillar.”
McEntire continued, “Brandon is sorely missed, truly missed with his mischievousness and his love of life. He brought joy to everybody that met him, and we’ll never forget him.”
News of Brandon’s death broke on August 7, one day after Clarkson postponed her August and September Las Vegas residency shows due to his unspecified illness.
“It is with great sadness that we share the news that Brandon Blackstock has passed away,” a rep for Brandon’s family said in a statement to People at the time. “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.” (His cause of death was later revealed to be the skin cancer melanoma.)
A few days later, McEntire paid tribute to Brandon by sharing photos of the two of them from over the years via Instagram. “Last week, my stepson/oldest son Brandon Blackstock went home to be with God. His struggle is over and he is in eternal peace in God’s presence,” she captioned the August 12 post. “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.”
