NEED TO KNOW
Brandon Blackstock died while under hospice care at his home in Montana
He died of melanoma, a form of skin cancer, while “surrounded by his family”
Blackstock’s death was announced by a rep for the family on Aug. 7
Brandon Blackstock’s final days were spent among his family.
The talent manager, 48, died on Thursday, Aug. 7 while under hospice care at his home in Butte, Mont., Silver Bow County Coroner Dan Hollis told PEOPLE.
Hollis noted that Blackstock was “surrounded by his family” when he died, and that his cause of death was melanoma, a form of skin cancer. His manner of death was natural causes.
Sources tell PEOPLE that Blackstock, who was previously married to Kelly Clarkson, moved to Montana three years ago, when he was diagnosed, and bought the home in Butte where he died.
In a statement announcing his death, a rep for the family echoed Hollis’s statement, and also noted that Blackstock was “surrounded by family” when he died.
“It is with great sadness that we share the news that Brandon Blackstock has passed away. Brandon bravely battled cancer for more than three years,” the statement read. “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.”
Steve Granitz/WireImage
Seth Blackstock, Remington Alexander Blackstock, Savannah Blackstock, Kelly Clarkson, River Rose Blackstock, and Brandon Blackstock in Los Angeles in April 2019
Blackstock was dad to daughter River, 11, and son Remington, 9, with ex-wife Clarkson, and son Seth and daughter Savannah with ex-wife Melissa Ashworth.
He recently spent time with family in March, when he joined his four children, his former stepmother Reba McEntire, her partner Rex Linn, his brother Shelby Blackstock and more family members at the Houston Rodeo.
Shelby Blackstock/Instagram
Rex Linn, Reba McEntire and members of the Blackstock family
Shelby, whose parents are McEntire and her ex-husband Narvel Blackstock, shared a carousel of family photos to Instagram celebrating the occasion on March 5. Blackstock posed in a cowboy hat alongside McEntire, as well as his children (The country legend and Narvel Blackstock were married from 1989 to 2015).
After Blackstock’s death, Shelby shared a touching tribute to Instagram alongside a series of photos of their family.
“Words cannot begin to comprehend the tremendous loss our family has endured… Brandon Blackstock was an irreplaceable part of our family — funny, bright, and full of life — and he will be deeply missed,” Shelby wrote. “He taught me so much, leaving behind countless cherished memories that I will hold onto forever. 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 Blackstock/Instagram
Shelby Blackstock and Brandon Blackstock
Just one day before Blackstock’s death, Clarkson, 43, announced that she’d be postponing the remainder of her August residency dates in Las Vegas due to his illness.
“While I normally keep my personal life private, this past year, my children’s father has been ill and at this moment, I need to be fully present for them,” she wrote in a statement shared to Instagram. “I am sincerely sorry to everyone who bought tickets to the shows and I so appreciate your grace, kindness and understanding.”
Clarkson and Blackstock were married for seven years before they split in June 2020. The singer later said she’d hope to make the divorce as smooth sailing as possible.
“I think the thing about divorce — especially having it publicized, and people thinking they know the whole thing — the hardest part of that is, like, it wasn’t an overnight decision,” Clarkson said of the split in 2023. “I wanted to make it beautiful. I wanted to make it awesome. I wanted to make it everything it possibly could be, and sometimes that just doesn’t happen.”
Read the original article on People
