Dolly Parton Offers Advice on Grief for Kelly Clarkson & Reba McEntire After Brandon Blackstock’s Death

Dolly Parton has some sage advice for those grieving the loss of loved ones.

During an interview with Entertainment Tonight posted Monday (Aug. 11), the country discussed whether she had had a chance to reach out to fellow singer-songwriter Kelly Clarkson after the recent passing of the latter’s ex-husband, music manager Brandon Blackstock, who was also the former stepson of Reba McEntire.

Parton said she had not yet. “We’ve been so involved in all this stuff here, but I will, I’ll catch up with her,” she shared. “I love Reba and I love Kelly.”

Blackstock died Aug. 7 at the age of 48, following a three-year battle with melanoma. He and Clarkson were wed from 2013 to 2022. McEntire was married to Blackstock’s father, music manager Narvel Blackstock, from 1989 to 2015.

Parton has been navigating her own time of personal grief and loss after the March death of her husband, Carl Dean, to whom she was wed for nearly six decades.

As for advice she would offer to McEntire and Clarkson, Parton said, “I think you just have to be grateful for the years that you’ve had with someone, and you just try to remember the very best of all that, and take their energy that they had given you then and just kind of recycle that and let that become a part of you. Just honor their memory and know that they are in a better place than we are these days.”

Following Blackstock’s passing, Starstruck Entertainment, the company that Narvel owned and that Brandon worked at, shared 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.”