Brandon Blackstock Went From Talent Manager to Rodeo Founder — Here’s His Net Worth

After enduring a private battle with cancer for more than three years, Brandon Blackstock, the ex-husband of singer Kelly Clarkson, passed away on Aug. 7, 2025. His family confirmed the news in a statement, per People, just a day after Kelly revealed on Instagram that he was ill. While the announcement of his passing was undoubtedly shocking, it feels especially heavy knowing he leaves behind four children — Savannah and Seth (with Melissa Ashworth), and River and Remy (with Kelly).

Still, it’s clear Brandon lived a full life, even if he had so much more to give. He had a successful run as a talent manager and later pivoted to launching his own rodeo business, Valley View Rodeo, in 2023. Through that, he built a solid fortune and a legacy likely to be passed down to his children, since Kelly was his last recorded spouse. Here’s a look back at his early life and the success he found during his 48 years on Earth.

Brandon Blackstock may have been best known as Kelly Clarkson’s ex-husband and the father of her kids, but he found success in his own right, building a $10 million net worth before his death, according to Celebrity Net Worth. He came from a family of high achievers; his father, Narvel Blackstock, founded Starstruck Entertainment in 1988, and his mother, Elisa Gayle Ritter, worked as a television producer.

Following in their footsteps, Brandon worked as a talent manager for years, much, if not all, of that time spent at Starstruck. Narvel still runs the company today, managing artists like Blake Shelton, Carly Pearce, Emily Ann Roberts, Maggie Rose, and Ty Myers, according to the company website.

While Brandon spent much of his life working as a talent manager, at one point even managing Kelly during their marriage, he pivoted to a new kind of career in 2023. That was the year after his divorce from Kelly was finalized, when he was awarded a $1.3 million lump sum, $45,000 per month in child support, and $115,000 per month in spousal support (set to end in January 2024), according to Entertainment Tonight.

Brandon went on to found Valley View Rodeo, a Bozeman, Montana-based operation that describes itself as a “multi-faceted organization dedicated to keeping the Western lifestyle alive in the modern day.” Valley View includes everything from the livestock industry to rodeos, restaurants, and more, all aimed at keeping the spirit of the West alive “for generations to come.”

It seems Brandon transitioned from one form of entertainment to another and was already working to turn it into something bigger as he had even expanded to include Headwaters Livestock Auction under the company umbrella.