The sudden loss of Brandon Blackstock at just 48 sent shockwaves through both the entertainment world and the tight-knit communities he called home. But it was his obituary — released just days after his Aug. 7 death from melanoma — that left many reeling.
The late talent manager, known for his high-profile marriage to singer Kelly Clarkson, was memorialized as “a devoted father” and “the love you prayed to have in your life.” Yet Clarkson’s name was conspicuously absent from the lengthy tribute. In her place, the obituary highlighted another woman: Brittney Marie Jones — Clarkson’s former assistant — described as Blackstock’s “beautiful and loving partner in life and business.”
According to the obituary, Blackstock and Jones had been “building a life” together, launching ventures including Headwaters Livestock Auction and Valley View Rodeo in Bozeman, Montana. The rodeo, the obituary said, would live on as part of his legacy.
A Life, A Legacy — and a Twist
The omission of Clarkson’s name — despite their nearly decade-long marriage and two children together, 11-year-old River and 9-year-old Remington — did not go unnoticed. Clarkson was said to be “devastated” for their children, according to a source who told People magazine, “Kelly has always tried to keep things classy… She’s been devastated for the kids.”
Blackstock’s two other children from his first marriage, Savannah, 23, and Seth, 18, were also named in the obituary. His ex-wife Melissa Ashworth, like Clarkson, was not mentioned.
Jones, who was previously married to Greg Goose LaPoint, had worked closely with Blackstock for years — first as Clarkson’s assistant in Los Angeles and later as his executive assistant in Montana. Her LinkedIn profile, as reported by The Sun, detailed her transition from the entertainment industry to ranch life, handling both administrative duties for Blackstock’s cattle operations and personal assistant responsibilities.
From Music to Montana
Blackstock’s life shifted dramatically after his 2020 split from Clarkson, a divorce marked by a contentious legal battle over property and custody. Ordered by the court to vacate Clarkson’s Montana ranch in 2022, he purchased his own $1.8 million property in Butte, where he and Jones began building their business empire.
Friends and family remembered him as a “dreamer,” a man whose greatest love was his four children. His eldest son, Seth, called him “my best friend and my hero,” while his half-brother, Shelby Blackstock, remembered him as “funny, bright, and full of life.”
A Private Battle, A Public Farewell
Blackstock’s three-year fight with melanoma ended peacefully at his Montana home, according to Silver Bow County Coroner Dan Hollis. His family’s statement asked for privacy, thanking the public for “thoughts and prayers” during their time of grief.
For Clarkson, the grief is doubled — mourning the father of her children while navigating the public fallout of an obituary that erases their shared history. For Jones, it marks a public acknowledgment of a partnership that had, until now, remained largely in the shadows.
In death, as in life, Brandon Blackstock’s story blends love, ambition, and controversy — leaving behind a legacy as complicated as it is enduring.
