Reba McEntire shared that the connection she had with her former stepson Brandon Blackstock won’t be forgotten after his passing earlier this year.
“My bond with my stepson, Brandon Blackstock, was truly special,” McEntire, 70, revealed to People on Tuesday, October 21, after Blackstock’s passing in August at the age of 48. “I truly loved that child.”
McEntire remembered Brandon entering her life at the age of 4 when she started dating his father, Narvel Blackstock, whom she married in 1989. (Brandon followed in his father’s path, becoming a music manager before his untimely passing.)
“When Narvel and I got married, he was about 13, 14,” the Voice judge recalled, noting that because Brandon was so young when they met, she played a role in his development.
“Along with his parents, I assisted in raising him, as well as [Narvel’s other children] Shawna and Chassidy,” McEntire stated. “They were like my own.” (McEntire and Narvel, 69, share one son, Shelby, 35.)
The country singer, who separated from Narvel in 1995, still cherishes memories of Brandon, recalling him as a “funny” kid who loved to “play jokes.”
“He enjoyed scaring people,” McEntire shared, noting that Narvel’s employees at Starstruck Entertainment were some of his primary targets. “We’d be at the office at Starstruck in Nashville and I’d be at my desk and see Penny Chubb [a Starstruck Entertainment employee] walk to the restroom, and then Brandon would come along. He’d hide behind the column.”
McEntire laughed as she remembered Brandon as a young boy standing for 10 minutes just “waiting to scare someone.”
The Happy’s Place actress mentioned that the pranks didn’t end there.
“If you ever parked your car in front of the house at a family dinner, you should keep your keys,” McEntire recalled about Brandon’s common pranks. “Otherwise, he would take the car and drive it around to the greenhouse and you’d have to walk in the dark to retrieve it.”
McEntire admitted, “I enjoy a good prank, but he was naturally talented at it.”
She added that everyone in the family cherished his “sense of humor,” adding that their lives are forever changed without him.
“Brandon is deeply missed, truly missed for his mischievous nature and his passion for life,” McEntire concluded. “He brought joy to everyone he encountered, and he will never be forgotten.”
McEntire was married to Narvel for 26 years and was the stepmother to his three kids before they had their son Shelby in 1990 before they divorced in 1995. Before their divorce, Narvel was also McEntire’s manager.
When Brandon married Kelly Clarkson, McEntire’s connection with him and his then-wife only grew stronger. Although Clarkson, 43, filed for divorce from Brandon in 2020 after seven years together, she remained close to McEntire, as did her and Brandon’s children, River, 11, and Remy, 9. (Brandon also had Savannah, 23, and Seth, 18, from his marriage to Melissa Ashworth.)
Us Weekly verified in August that Brandon passed away after a private battle with cancer.
Narvel Blackstock, Reba McEntire, Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock. Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Celebrity Fight Night
“We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Brandon Blackstock,” a family representative shared in a statement to Us. “Brandon fought bravely against cancer for over three years. He was at peace when he passed away and had his family around him. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers and ask that everyone respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time.”
The following month, McEntire shared an update on how Brandon’s children were doing.
“The kids are coping well; they are connecting, spending time together, and taking each day as it comes,” McEntire mentioned to Entertainment Tonight in September. “We trust that God is in control.”
During the family’s sorrow, McEntire has relied on her fiancé, Rex Linn, whom she started dating in 2020. Us confirmed in September that Linn, 68, and McEntire are engaged. The singer later shared that Linn proposed in 2024.
“Rex brings out the youthful side of me, and I enjoy myself. I can be dorky and goofy. He is the same way. We enjoy laughter and have affection for each other,” McEntire shared exclusively with Us in October 2024.
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