The family of Kelly Clarkson’s ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock, is beginning to speak out after his tragic death at age 48.
Brandon died on Thursday, August 7, after a private, yearslong battle with cancer. His brother, race car driver Shelby Blackstock, 35, was one of the first in the family to publicly address his passing.
Taking to his Instagram on Friday, August 8, Shelby shared several photos of Brandon with his family and doing what he loved.
Some pictures showed them swimming, while others displayed the tight-knit family on vacation or Brandon on horseback with a smile and an iced cold beer in hand.
“Words cannot begin to capture the tremendous loss our family has endured. Yesterday, we lost a brother, a father, a grandfather, and a son,” Shelby’s heartfelt post read.
Calling his half-sibling “an irreplaceable part of our family—funny, bright, and full of life,” Shelby said, “he will be deeply missed.”
Brandon and Shelby shared the same father, Narvel Blackstock, 68, but different mothers.
Narvel had Brandon and two other children with his first wife, Elisa Gayle Ritter, before marrying Reba McEntire in 1989 and welcoming Shelby in 1990.
Narvel — who was a talent manager — and McEntire divorced in 2015.
Despite their age gap, Shelby said that Brandon “taught me so much, leaving behind countless cherished memories that I will hold onto forever.”
He continued to speak about their bond while paying tribute to his brother.
“For every treasured moment we shared, there are so many more we’ll never get to make together, but I know you’ll still be there. Every hunt, every flight, and in the everyday moments of life, I’ll feel your presence,” Shelby told his late sibling. “And although it may annoy you, you’ll have to watch me do it all just a little better, a little smoother, and —let’s be honest— looking far more handsome than you ever could in the process. 😏.”
He concluded: “We will always miss you, Brandon, and we will never stop loving, remembering and celebrating you.”
This is a developing story.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
