Dolly Parton comforts Clarkson and McEntire after Brandon Blackstock death

Dolly Parton shares comforting words with Kelly Clarkson and Reba McEntire as they grieve Brandon Blackstock.

Dolly Parton offers support to Clarkson and McEntire after Brandon Blackstock's death

Dolly Parton spoke with Entertainment Tonight about supporting Kelly Clarkson and Reba McEntire as they mourn Brandon Blackstock, saying she plans to reach out soon and sharing thoughts on grief and healing. She urged people to be grateful for the years with someone, to take the energy they gave you and recycle it to honor their memory, and to believe they are in a better place.

Brandon Blackstock died on August 7 at his home in Butte, Montana, at age 48. Clarkson and Blackstock were married from 2013 to 2022 and share two children. McEntire was married to Narvel Blackstock from 1989 to 2015. Parton has also faced loss, including the death of her husband Carl Dean in March, and has described taking time away from creating new music while navigating grief. She has previously said she will write again but not yet. Parton also noted her plans to connect with Clarkson and McEntire as they grieve and to honor Blackstock’s memory.

This moment shows how grief can become a shared language among close circles in the country music world. Parton frames mourning as a process that blends gratitude with memory, turning loss into a form of energy that fans and friends can carry forward. Her approach highlights the social role of elder figures in country music, where peers lean on one another in public while protecting private sorrow. The piece also reminds readers that even iconic performers face personal pain, and that their coping strategies—faith, memory, and acts of kindness—can shape how fans understand grief.

Highlights

Healing often travels through song and memory, not loud headlines.