On The Voice, losing Brandon Blackstock hit home for Reba McEntire.
The ex-husband of Kelly Clarkson, Blackstock passed away this past summer.
Naturally, the tragic loss of her stepson came up in the form of song.
One moving and beautiful performance hit just a little too close to home for Reba. But that wasn’t a bad thing.
Reba McEntire had a bittersweet experience on ‘The Voice’
On the Monday, October 27 episode of The Voice, Reba McEntire could not help but think of Brandon Blackstock’s passing.
Music is an evocative experience, bringing up emotion and memory — second only to smell when it comes to dredging up the past.
Reba felt that personally when Team Reba artist Aubrey Nicole sang during the episode.
“I’m Gonna Love You Through It” is a Martina McBride song.
The lyrics follow a couple grappling with a cancer diagnosis.
“Martina’s a good friend of mine,” Reba commented after the performance.
She acknowledged: “I lost my oldest son because he did not win with cancer.”
Reba was referring, of course, to stepson Brandon Blackstock. He passed away on August 7, at the age of 48, after a battle with melanoma.
“That was a real reminder that life goes on,” Reba affirmed. “And we sing songs about it so we can remember the ones around us that we love so much, that we lean on at times like this.”
She praised Aubrey Nicole, saying: “You did a great job.”
Brandon Blackstock was part of her life for most of his
Sometimes, adults marry and find themselves with an adult stepchild whom they see a few times per year and get to know slowly — if at all.
But that is not how things played out for Reba.
She married Narvel Blackstock in 1989. The two only split in 2015, after Brandon had married Kelly Clarkson.
To put this into perspective, Brandon was part of Reba’s life for the entirety of Taylor Swift’s life.
When she talks about losing him, she’s talking about someone she knew and loved for nearly 40 years.
Last week, my stepson/oldest son Brandon Blackstock went home to be with God. His struggle is over and he is in eternal peace in God’s presence. There is no one else like him, and I’m thankful for the time we had together. His legacy and laughter will be carried on through his… pic.twitter.com/vIQF6CmFdI
— Reba McEntire (@reba) August 13, 2025
In August, it fell to Shelby — Brandon Blackstock’s half-brother, the son of Reba McEntire with Narvel — to share the McEntire family’s grief.
“Words cannot begin to capture the tremendous loss our family has endured,” Shelby wrote at the time.
“Yesterday, we lost a brother, a father, a grandfather, and a son,” he grimly acknowledged.
The statement concluded: “Brandon Blackstock was an irreplaceable part of our family — funny, bright, and full of life — and he will be deeply missed.”
Reba replied to that with a tasteful addition: “Very well said Shelby. Yes we will miss him so much.”
Obviously, she has spoken about this loss before now
Meanwhile, Reba posted her own tribute.
“Last week, my stepson/oldest son Brandon Blackstock went home to be with God,” she wrote in a tweet.
“His struggle is over and he is in eternal peace in God’s presence,” she announced. “There is no one else like him, and I’m thankful for the time we had together.”
Reba concluded: “His legacy and laughter will be carried on through his family. Rest in peace cowboy. Happy trails to you til we meet again.”
As many of us know, grief is not a linear progression. Eventually, you will be fine for days or weeks — and then the loss will hit you anew. A powerful song can be evocative and bittersweet.