Reba McEntire revealed her bond with former stepson Brandon Blackstock received’t quickly be forgotten following his dying earlier this 12 months.
“My relationship with my stepson, Brandon Blackstock, was treasured,” McEntire, 70, advised Individuals on Tuesday, October 21, following Blackstock’s dying in August on the age of 48. “I completely cherished that little one.”
McEntire recalled Brandon coming into her life when he was 4 years previous after she began courting his father, Narvel Blackstock, whom she wed in 1989. (Brandon adopted in his father’s footsteps and have become a music supervisor previous to his premature dying.)
“Then when Narvel and I bought married, he was 13, 14,” the Voice coach remembered, noting that as a result of Brandon was only a child once they met, she was an lively a part of his upbringing.
“Alongside along with his mother and pop, I helped increase him, together with [Narvel’s other kids] Shawna and Chassidy,” McEntire stated. “They had been my children.” (McEntire and Narvel, 69, share one son, Shelby, 35.)
The nation singer, who divorced Narvel in 1995, nonetheless has fond recollections of Brandon, remembering him because the “humorous” younger little one who cherished to “pull pranks.”
“He cherished to scare folks,” McEntire revealed, noting Narvel’s staff at Starstruck Leisure had been a few of his favourite targets. “We’d be on the workplace there at Starstruck in Nashville and I’d be sitting at my desk and I’d see Penny Chubb [a Starstruck Entertainment employee] stroll by going to the girl’s room, after which right here comes Brandon. He’d conceal behind the pillar.”
McEntire laughed when fascinated by Brandon as a child standing for 10 minutes simply “ready to scare any person.”
The Completely satisfied’s Place actress famous that the jokes didn’t cease there.
“When you ever parked your automotive in entrance of the home at a household dinner you higher take your keys,” McEntire stated of one other one in every of Brandon’s go-to strikes. “Or he would take that automotive and drive all of it the best way round to the greenhouse and also you’d need to stroll at midnight and go get your automotive.”
Brandon Blackstock‘s relationship along with his former stepmother, Reba McEntire, remained sturdy by means of their respective divorces. Following her 1989 marriage to the expertise supervisor’s father, Narvel Blackstock, the nation famous person turned near Brandon. Brandon’s been my son without end it appears,” McEntire advised Leisure Tonight in October 2021. “Though he’s my stepson, I nonetheless love him […]
McEntire confessed, “I like to tug a very good prank however he got here by that naturally.”
She added that everybody within the household appreciated his “humorousness,” including that their lives are without end modified with out him.
“Brandon is sorely missed, actually missed along with his mischievousness and his love of life,” McEntire concluded. “He introduced pleasure to all people that met him, and we’ll always remember him.”
McEntire was married to Narvel for 26 years — and was the stepmother to his three youngsters earlier than welcoming their son Shelby in 1990 — earlier than calling it quits in 1995. Narvel was additionally McEntire’s supervisor previous to their divorce.
When Brandon married Kelly Clarkson, McEntire’s bond with him and his then-wife solely appeared to develop stronger. Whereas Clarkson, 43, filed for divorce from Brandon in 2020 after seven years of marriage, she remained near McEntire — as did her and Brandon’s youngsters, River, 11, and Remy, 9. (Brandon was additionally the daddy of Savannah, 23, and Seth, 18, from his marriage to Melissa Ashworth.)
Us Weekly confirmed in August that Brandon died following a non-public battle with most cancers.
Narvel Blackstock, Reba McEntire, Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock. Michael Buckner/Getty Photographs for Superstar Battle Evening
“It’s with nice unhappiness that we share the information that Brandon Blackstock has handed away,” a rep for the household shared in a press release to Us. “Brandon bravely battled most cancers for greater than three years. He handed away peacefully and was surrounded by household. We thanks in your ideas and prayers and ask everybody to respect the household’s privateness throughout this very troublesome time.”
Brandon Blackstock quietly frolicked along with his former stepmother, Reba McEntire, lower than 5 months earlier than his dying. Brandon and his half-brother, Shelby Blackstock, reunited with McEntire, 70, and her boyfriend, Rex Linn, at RodeoHouston in March. “Household time, the @rodeohouston and corn canines,” Shelby, 35, wrote by way of Instagram on March 5. “We had a […]
The next month, McEntire gave an replace on how Brandon’s children had been holding up.
“The children are doing effectively, they’re all bonding collectively and hanging out with one another, and taking it at some point at a time,” McEntire advised Leisure Tonight in September. “We all know God’s bought this.”
In the course of the household’s heartbreak, McEntire has leaned on her fiancé, Rex Linn, whom she started courting in 2020. Us confirmed in September that Linn, 68, and McEntire are engaged. The singer later revealed that Linn popped the query in 2024.
“Rex brings out the little lady in me, and I’ve enjoyable. I’m dorky, I’m goofy. He’s too. We like to giggle, and we love one another,” McEntire completely advised Us in October 2024.
