The “Trailblazer” singer honored her late stepson during the 2026 Grammys’ In Memoriam segment.

Reba McEntire shares update on Kelly Clarkson and her kids 6 months after Brandon Blackstock’s death

The "Trailblazer" singer honored her late stepson during the 2026 Grammys' In Memoriam segment.

By Shania Russell

Shania Russell

Shania Russell is a news writer at *, *with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

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February 2, 2026 12:04 p.m. ET

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Reba McEntire; Kelly Clarkson. Credit:

Amy Sussman/Getty; Rodin Eckenroth/Getty

Reba McEntire says Kelly Clarkson and her two kids are "hanging in there" following the death of Clarkson's ex-husband and McEntire's stepson, Brandon Blackstock.

On Sunday night, the 70-year-old superstar walked the 2026 Grammy Awards red carpet hours before taking the stage to perform the show's In Memoriam tribute. During her chat with *Entertainment Tonight*, McEntire opened up about the devastating losses that the music world suffered last year — including the death of her stepson.

"I’ve got a lot of friends up on that big screen and my son, Brandon Blackstock," McEntire said. "We let him go to heaven in August, so we’re gonna be celebrating him tonight also. We’ll miss them, and we’re hoping to be with them again someday soon."

Blackstock was the son of McEntire's ex-husband Narvel Blackstock, to whom she was married from 1989 to 2015. Blackstock was also the former manager of Clarkson. The couple wed in 2013 and welcomed two children together — daughter River, 11, and son Remy, 9 — before getting divorced in March 2022. Blackstock subsequently struggled with cancer for three years before dying in August 2025.

Narvel Blackstock, Reba McEntire, Kelly Clarkson, and Brandon Blackstock in 2015.

Michael Buckner/Getty

Asked how Clarkson and her kids are doing months later, McEntire replied, "Everybody’s hanging in there."

She continued, "We miss Brandon so much. He was so much life, joy, love. He was a prankster and a character, and we all have a big text chain that we stay together and talk about him and remember him and they’re all excited about tonight also."

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Reba McEntire posts heartfelt tribute to her late stepson Brandon Blackstock

** Blackstock, who had two children from a previous marriage, died on Aug. 7 from malignant melanoma, an aggressive form of skin cancer, with seizures listed as "significant conditions contributing to death" on his death certificate. He was 48.

Last month, Clarkson shared that in the wake of Blackstock's death, she's been spending a lot more snuggle time with her two kids.

Seth Blackstock, Alexander Blackstock, Savannah Blackstock, Kelly Clarkson, River Blackstock, Remy Blackstock, and Brandon Blackstock in 2019.

Eric Charbonneau/Getty

"They're kind of in that special little fun stage where they can wipe their own behinds but they're still small enough to, like, love cuddling and love snuggles," the singer shared during a backstage Q&A for *The Kelly Clarkson Show*. "There's been a lot for our family recently, and so I have allowed my kids to sleep with me quite a bit."

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At the Grammys, McEntire kicked off the moving In Memoriam segment with a performance of her new song "Trailblazer," which saw the country star honor such figures as Brett James, Alan Bergman, Jimmy Cliff, Malcolm Jamal-Warner, and Chuck Mangione. A tribute to Blackstock also appeared on the screen behind McEntire during her performance.

The extended segment continued with Post Malone, Slash, Duff McKagan and Andrew Watt taking the stage to perform "War Pigs" in honor of Ozzy Osbourne. There were also In Memoriam performances from Lauryn Hill, Raphael Saadiq and Anthony Hamilton, Leon Thomas and Jon Batiste.

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