Kelly Clarkson Opts Out Of Texas Charity Event Days After Ex-Husband's Tragic Cancer Death
By Fiyin Olowokandi on August 14, 2025 at 9:15 AM EDT
In an unfortunate turn of events, Kelly Clarkson’s fans will not see her hit the stage on August 17 at a charity event she was initially scheduled to perform in.
The American singer’s late ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock, passed away on August 7, and she has been “heartbroken” for her kids. He died after a three-year private battle with melanoma, a form of skin cancer.
Clarkson struggled to grasp the reality of the situation during Blacksock’s illness and was seen having an emotional moment on stage just days before he passed away.
Kelly Clarkson Cancels Her Concert Appearance In Texas
Clarkson was slated to perform at a benefit concert at Moody Center, in Austin, Texas. The show was geared towards raising funding for victims of the devastating July floods.
Days before the event, its organizers shared a post on Instagram that read, “Unfortunately, Kelly Clarkson will be unable to appear at Band Together Texas as planned, due to personal circumstances. We send out love to Kelly and her family.”
Although the “American Idol” winner will be noticeably absent from the show, other big name stars are still set to perform, as confirmed by the Daily Mail.
Miranda Lambert and Parker McCollum, who are the major backers of the event, will be on stage, and so will other stars such as Wade Bowen, Cody Johnson, Lukas Nelson, and the Randy Rogers Band.
News of Clarkson’s withdrawal from the charity event comes just days after her husband of nine years and former talent manager, Blackstock, passed away. He died in Butte, Montana, surrounded by his family.
The Singer-Songwriter Had An Emotional Moment On Stage Days Before Tragedy Hit
12 days before Clarkson lost her ex-husband, she broke down on stage while recording her popular song, “Piece By Piece.”
During the show at her Las Vegas residency, the pop star debuted a rewritten version of the hit song, saying that the new lyrics reflect her current state as a person.
She could be seen fighting back tears as she urged herself to compartmentalize her feelings during the performance.
The Blast reported that Clarkson tweaked the song’s lyrics because she thought she sounded “a little angry” in the original. Now, after doing some therapy, she believes the new lyrics are more “grown-up.”
Clarkson Postponed Her Las Vegas Residency
Shortly before her ex-husband passed away, Clarkson postponed the rest of her August Las Vegas residency dates. She announced that the reason for the schedule changes was Blackstock’s deteriorating health.
Although the “A Moment Like This” singer and the late talent manager had severed all romantic ties to each other, she wanted to be there to support their children. The duo had two kids while they were together: 11-year-old River and 9-year-old Remy.
In her announcement, Clarkson wrote that she wanted to be “fully present” for her kids during the difficult period, per The Blast.
A source revealed that she remained “protective” of Blackstock during his illness for the sake of her children, and she was also “heartbroken” for them.
Blackstock Was In a Romantic Relationship With Kelly Clarkson’s Ex-Assistant Until His Death
Although Clarkson was not named in Blackstock’s obituary, The Blast reported that he had a ”loving partner” by his side at the time of his passing.
In a shocking revelation, the loving partner has been identified as Brittney Marie Jones, the singer’s former assistant.
Blackstock “found a homestead and a love in Butte, Montana,” the obituary read. It further stated that the late talent manager and his “beautiful and loving partner in life and business,” Marie Jones, were building companies before he passed away.
Kelly Clarkson’s Divorce From Brandon Blackstock “Wasn’t An Overnight Decision”
Clarkson and Blackstock first laid eyes on each other in 2006, but their love story didn’t start until 2012. They got married in 2013, and after seven years of being together, the Grammy Award winner filed for divorce in June 2020.
Clarkson opened up about the painful split while the divorce proceedings were still ongoing in 2023. She admitted that going through the separation as a public personality made things appear different from what they were.
“I think the thing about divorce — especially having it publicized, and people thinking they know the whole thing — the hardest part of that is, like, it wasn't an overnight decision,” she said.
The mother-of-two also acknowledged that she tried her best and wanted to make the marriage “beautiful” and “awesome.” However, fate had other plans for her.
