The Tragedy Of Reba McEntire Keeps Getting Sadder

Country music star Reba McEntire has enjoyed massive success over the course of her decades-long career. However, that success hasn't granted McEntire immunity from some of life's harsh realities. Back in 2024, we put out a piece about some of the most tragic details about McEntrie's life, such as her two divorces, the deaths of her parents, and the plane crash that killed her band and tour manager back in the early 1990s. Unfortunately, the story only gets sadder with time, as McEntire has had to endure even more tragedy since then, particularly in the form of loss.

First and foremost, McEntire's former stepson, Brandon Blackstock, passed away in August 2025 at the age of just 48 following a cancer diagnosis that he kept out of the public eye. But although McEntire's marriage to Brandon's father, Narvel Blackstock, ended in divorce in 2015, the fact of the matter is that they were still together for nearly 30 years, and Brandon was, for all intents and purposes, McEntire's son. "I don't consider Brandon, Chassidy, and Shawna stepchildren ... I claim them all," McEntire told The Boot in 2010 (Chassidy and Shawna being Narvel's other two children from his first marriage). This sentiment endured well after McEntire and Narvel's marriage ended, with the country singer telling Entertainment Tonight in 2021, "Brandon's been my son forever, it seems. Although he's my stepson, I still love him like he's my total — my blood." With that in mind, McEntire was no doubt just as affected by Brandon's death as anyone.

Back in 2024, the world of country music endured some major losses in its own right. And being such a prominent figure in that world, Reba McEntire was among those left to mourn her colleagues. "I Love This Bar" singer Toby Keith was himself diagnosed with cancer in 2022 and ultimately succumbed to the illness in February 2024. Given that he and McEntire were longtime friends (and both Oklahoma natives) it should come as no surprise that McEntire took the time to honor Keith on a number of occasions throughout the year.

"I was very honored to get to work with Toby and be a part of the era of country music he was in. We'll sure miss him," she told Backstage Country shortly after the news of Keith's death broke that February. Then, in August 2024, she again paid tribute to her late friend as part of NBC's TV special celebrating Keith's life. "When I was around him, he was a bad-ass country singer. But I found out later on he had a really big heart. Big as Oklahoma," she said.

In the interim, the country world was dealt another blow in July 2024, when Oak Ridge Boys singer Joe Bonsall — another friend of McEntire's — died as a result of ALS. And like with Keith, McEntire was sure to pay her respects. "I'll sure miss your smiling face and your bubbly personality. I can't wait to see you again," she wrote on Instagram that month.