Kelly Clarkson was moved to tears on stage in one of her final performances before the death of her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock.
In an emotional video from the July 26 show of her Las Vegas residency, Clarkson, 43, wiped her eyes while introducing her song “Piece by Piece.”
“This next song, I’ve never rewritten a song more,” she told the audience. “And I probably never will. I wrote this song with a lot of hope, OK? And projection for happiness and [something] better than what was happening. And then, well, life set in and I had to change the lyrics.”
Clarkson recalled making the adjustment for a show two years prior and thinking, “You know what? That sounded a little angry.”
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The OG American Idol winner added that she wanted the song to sound true to her life now, teasing, “I’ve done some therapy.”
As she continued to speak about the song, Clarkson was overcome with emotion. “I’m really trying to pull it together,” she told the crowd, who cheered and chanted her name as she stepped away from the mic to wipe away tears once again.
After composing herself, Clarkson said, “Anyway, let’s just sing it. This is ‘Piece by Piece.’”
The song appears on Clarkson’s seventh album, also titled Piece by Piece, which was released in 2015. She and Blackstock tied the knot two years prior, with their relationship and Clarkson’s estrangement from her father serving as the major inspiration behind the lyrics.
Clarkson and Blackstock welcomed daughter River in 2014 and son Remington in 2016 before the singer filed for divorce in 2020. Following a lengthy legal battle, the exes finalized their divorce in 2022.
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While performing “Piece by Piece” last month, Clarkson sang, “I’m learning everyday how to love me / I let go of the shame that you taught me / Piece by piece, I restored the faith that a heart can still beat even if it breaks.”
The emotional concert footage resurfaced following Blackstock’s death at age 48. Clarkson announced on Wednesday, August 6, that she was postponing her Las Vegas residency for the rest of the month, revealing that “my children’s father has been ill and at this moment, I need to be fully present for them.” He died one day later.
“It is with great sadness that we share the news that Brandon Blackstock has passed away,” a rep for his family told Us Weekly in a statement. “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.”
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The music manager is survived by his father, Narvel Blackstock, and siblings, including Shelby Blackstock, who Narvel welcomed with ex-wife Reba McEntire before their 2015 split.
Clarkson has yet to speak publicly about Brandon’s death, but a source exclusively told Us that coping with his cancer battle was “draining, exhausting, emotional [and] devastating.” (Along with postponing her Vegas concerts, Clarkson was MIA from her daytime talk show earlier this year.)
“A big part of it was making her schedule available for transporting the children to visit Brandon, and all of the emotions that came with this difficult time,” the insider explained. “Kelly is a workhorse. Hard work is all she knows. She hates disappointing people, truly. The thing that kept her going was knowing how many people depend on her, like her crews and employees. … She loves her work, but nothing compares to a situation like this.”
