As far as Reba McEntire is concerned, Brandon Blackstock was her son. One of McEntire’s five stepchildren, Brandon was in his early teens when the country music star married his father, music producer and manager Narvel Blackstock. “I don’t consider Brandon, Chassidy, and Shawna stepchildren … I claim them all,” McEntire said in an interview with The Boot in 2010 — and not even her 2015 divorce from Narvel could change that. It’s also worth noting that McEntire’s one and only biological child, Shelby Blackstock, is Brandon’s younger half-brother. With that in mind, McEntire was understandably devastated when Brandon, ex-husband of another musical icon Kelly Clarkson, died at the age of 48 in August 2025. Several months later, McEntire shared some heartbreaking revelations about her own bond with Brandon.

During an October 2025 interview with People, McEntire described her relationship with her late stepson as “precious.” She said, “I absolutely loved that child. He came into my life, I guess he was 4 years old. Then when Narvel and I got married, he was 13, 14. Along with his mom and dad, I helped raise him, along with Shawna and Chassidy.” McEntire reiterated, “They were my kids.” The “Fancy” singer also recalled that Brandon was quite the prankster in his youth, often scaring unsuspecting people. McEntire shared, “We’d be at the office there at Starstruck [which was owned by Narvel] in Nashville and I’d be sitting at my desk and I’d see Penny Chubb [a Starstruck Entertainment employee] walk by going to the lady’s room, and then here comes Brandon. He’d hide behind the pillar.”

During her October 2025 interview with People, Reba McEntire concluded the section about late stepson Brandon Blackstock by remarking, “Brandon is sorely missed, truly missed with his mischievousness and his love of life. He brought joy to everybody that met him, and we’ll never forget him.” Of course, given that the interview came three months after his death, McEntire presumably had some time to collect her thoughts on the matter.

Nevertheless, she was also sure to pay tribute to Brandon in the immediate aftermath of his passing the previous August. “Last week, my stepson/oldest son Brandon Blackstock went home to be with God,” McEntire wrote on Instagram at the time. “His struggle is over and he is in eternal peace in God’s presence,” she continued, alluding to Brandon’s cancer diagnosis, which he had kept out of the public eye. McEntire concluded, “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 family. Rest in peace, cowboy. Happy trails to you ’til we meet again.”

That being said, Reba wasn’t the only one with McEntire blood to pen such a tribute to Brandon. Her son, Shelby Blackstock, similarly shared a heartbreaking tribute to his older half-brother on Instagram. In his post, Shelby explained that Brandon, who was a fair bit older than him, “taught me so much, leaving behind countless cherished memories that I will hold onto forever.” Keeping that little-brother energy, he quipped that he would carry on while “looking far more handsome than you ever could in the process.” Still, Shelby wrapped up the post by echoing his mother, declaring that Brandon would always be loved and never forgotten.