Shelby Blackstock Shares Heartfelt Tribute To Brother Brandon On What Would Have Been His 49th Birthday
Shelby Blackstock Shares Touching Tribute For Brother Brandon (Instagram/Shelby Blackstock)
Brandon Blackstock passed away on August 7, 2025 at the age of 48 after a courageous battle with cancer.
Blackstock’s family announced the news in 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.”
His younger half-brother, Shelby, took to social media to share some words in memory of Brandon, saying that he was an “irreplaceable” part of the family.
“Words cannot begin to capture the tremendous loss our family has endured. Yesterday, we lost a brother, a father, a grandfather, and a son,” Shelby lovingly wrote. “Brandon Blackstock was an irreplaceable part of our family—funny, bright, and full of life—and he will be deeply missed.”
Shelby is the son of country music legend Reba McEntire.
Shelby and Brandon’s father, Narvel, was married to Reba for 26 years, from 1989 to 2015. He first joined Reba’s band in 1980 as a steel guitar player. At the time, both were married to other people, Reba to her first husband, Charlie Battles, and Narvel to his first wife, Elisa Gayle Ritter.
Reba and Charlie separated in 1987, and Narvel and Elisa divorced in 1988. The following year, in 1989, Reba and Narvel got married. Brandon was 12 years old at the time and just one year later, in 1990, Reba and Narvel welcomed Shelby.
Despite the bigger age gap and having different moms, the brothers remained extremely close.
RELATED: Reba McEntire Mourns The Loss Of Stepson Brandon Blackstock
Shelby Shares Touching Tribute In Honor Of Brandon’s 49th Birthday
On Tuesday (December 16), on what would have been Brandon’s 49th birthday, Shelby took to social media to share another heartwarming tribute.
“Happy 49th birthday, Brandon. I think about you every day, and it’s still hard to believe you’re gone. This morning felt strange not making that 5am birthday call just to be the first one. You never know how special those moments are until they’re gone,” Shelby wrote.
He shared a sweet carousel of photos, some of the two of them and some of Brandon alone, writing: “I know you’re having the best birthday up there.”
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