Brandon Blackstock’s daughter Savannah Blackstock Lee shared a statement about her father’s death.
“My daddy never fell short of making my dreams come true. No matter how high or how far, he made a way,” Savannah, 23, wrote via Instagram on Tuesday, August 19. “Not only did he make my dreams come true, he chased them with me. Worldwide he was there, my biggest cheerleader. He is my best friend, my voice of reason, and my favorite phone call every day.”
She opened up about bonding with her father over the past six months by finding a “new avenue” of their relationship through their shared faith.
“He always loved the Lord, but 6 months ago he sought the Lord. He was hungry for the word and we did it together,” she said. “He’s gifted me more than I could’ve asked for and deserved throughout my life, but 12 days ago he blessed me the most valuable gift I could’ve asked for. The gift of knowing where he is today, in Heaven with our Savior.”
She continued, “I lost a piece of my heart and my favorite Cowboy, but Heaven gained an angel. I’m so thankful for the time I did have and I can’t wait for eternity. I love you daddy and I will miss you indefinitely. Enjoy your ranch up there, God designed it with your heart’s desires in mind. ❤️.”
Alongside her touching tribute was a carousel of images throughout her life with her father, including snaps from her wedding horseback riding and of Brandon holding her and husband Quentin Lee’s 3-year-old son, Lake. (The couple announced in July they are expecting baby No. 2.)
Brandon shared Savannah and son Seth, 18, with ex-wife Melissa Ashworth as well as daughter River, 11, and son Remington, 9, with ex-wife Kelly Clarkson.
On August 7, a rep for Blackstock’s family confirmed he had died at the age of 48 after a three-year cancer battle.
“It is with great sadness that we share the news that Brandon Blackstock has passed away,” they said in a statement to Us Weekly. “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.”
One day prior to the announcement of his death, Clarkson, who split from Blackstock in 2020 after seven years of marriage, revealed that she had to postpone her Las Vegas residency due to Blackstock’s undisclosed illness.
“Unfortunately, I need to postpone the remainder of the August Studio Session dates in Las Vegas,” Clarkson explained via Instagram on August 6. “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.”
Clarkson shared that she was “sincerely sorry to everyone who bought tickets to the shows and I so appreciate your grace, kindness and understanding.”
After his marriage to Ashworth from 2001 to 2012, the son of music managers Narvel Blackstock and Elisa Gayle Ritter married Clarkson in 2013 after they dated for nearly two years.
“Brandon is not my other half. He’s a whole and I’m a whole,” Clarkson explained in her May 2015 Redbook cover story. “I’ve never believed in someone taking care of me, and that’s probably because I grew up poor and without a lot of family stability.”
The pair welcomed River and Remington in 2014 and 2016, respectively. Nearly four years after Remington’s birth, Clarkson filed for divorce from Brandon in June 2020, according to documents obtained by Us.
“They clashed on so many levels, and being in quarantine together [during the coronavirus pandemic] heightened their problems to the point of no return,” a source told Us at the time. “Everyone thought Kelly and Brandon had the perfect marriage, but they definitely didn’t. Brandon’s very laid-back, whereas Kelly’s pretty high-strung.”
Following a lengthy divorce that was finalized in 2022, Clarkson received full primary custody of her kids and moved them to New York City, but she agreed to give Brandon visitation rights in their divorce.
“[Kelly] has a great coparenting relationship with Brandon, but things haven’t always been easy in terms of their personal relationship,” a source shared with Us in April 2023. “However, they’ve come a long way and are handling things with their kids really well.”
