Brandon Blackstock, known for his role as a talent manager, has passed away at 48 years old.
Blackstock, who was previously married to the acclaimed singer Kelly Clarkson from 2013 to 2022, succumbed to cancer after a prolonged fight with the illness.
Originally from Fort Worth, Texas, Blackstock served as a talent manager at Starstruck Entertainment. His clientele included notable figures such as Carly Pearce, Emily Ann Roberts, and Blake Shelton.
During his marriage to Clarkson, the couple had two children together. Blackstock also had two children from a prior marriage and had recently embraced the role of a grandfather.
The family representative conveyed the unfortunate news to People with a statement: “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. 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.”
In a heartfelt Instagram post, Clarkson stated: “Unfortunately, I need to postpone the remainder of the August Studio Session dates in Las Vegas.
“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.
“I am sincerely sorry to everyone who bought tickets to the shows and I so appreciate your grace, kindness and understanding.”
Recalling their first encounter in 2013, Clarkson shared with People: “This guy walks by, making everybody laugh. I said, ‘I’m gonna end up with him. I know it.'”
The couple wed in October of the same year.
In a November 2017 interview on SiriusXM, Clarkson spoke candidly about her relationship with Blackstock.
“This isn’t a downer to anybody I dated before him, but I’m just going to be real: I never felt like, honestly, sexually attracted to anybody before him,” Clarkson explained. “And I’m not downing my exes. You know, everybody’s different. But there was something about him.”
Blackstock’s career also included managing country music star Blake Shelton, who is married to Gwen Stefani. His work with Shelton eventually led to managing his ex-wife’s career as well.
In 2018, Clarkson expressed her admiration for Blackstock’s professional skills in an interview with Marie Claire.
“I wouldn’t have hired Brandon to be my manager if I didn’t see first-hand how great he is at that and how much he cares about Blake,” she mentioned. “And the way that [Blake’s] career has blown up, I would have hired Brandon regardless. He’s really talented at what he does and his mind really does work in a completely different way.”