Reba McEntire Couldn’t Hold Back Tears After ‘The Voice’ Performance — The Song That Opened Old Wounds About Her Late Stepson Brandon Blackstock.LC
It was supposed to be another emotional night on NBC’s The Voice — but what unfolded left millions of viewers in stunned silence. During the live broadcast, a young contestant chose to perform Martina McBride’s powerful ballad “I’m Gonna Love You Through It,” a song about strength, loss, and unconditional love. By the time the final verse echoed through the studio, Reba McEntire — the queen of country music and this season’s beloved coach — could no longer hold back her tears.
As the cameras cut to her, viewers saw Reba gently press a hand to her heart, her voice trembling as she whispered, “That one… that one hit home.” The room fell still, the judges beside her offering quiet support as she struggled to compose herself. What few expected, however, was the deeply personal pain behind those tears — a story of love, loss, and the ache of memory that Reba has carried quietly for years.
Sources close to the star later confirmed what fans had long suspected: Reba’s emotional reaction was tied to the passing of her stepson, Brandon Blackstock, whose death earlier this year followed a long and difficult battle with cancer. Brandon — once known publicly for his high-profile marriage to Kelly Clarkson — had largely withdrawn from the public eye in his final years, focusing on treatment and time with his children. His passing, though private, had left a lasting void in the McEntire and Blackstock families.
Reba, who helped raise Brandon during her marriage to Narvel Blackstock, was said to have remained deeply close to him even after their separation. “He was my boy,” she once said quietly in an interview years ago. “When you love a child, that doesn’t change — no matter what.”
On The Voice, that love resurfaced in a way that could not be hidden. The song’s lyrics — “She said, I don’t think I can do this anymore…” — seemed to pierce through her composure, each line reflecting the pain of watching someone you love slip away and the courage it takes to keep living with that loss.
When the performance ended, Reba rose from her chair, walked across the stage, and embraced the contestant in a long, tearful hug. The audience applauded softly — not for the music alone, but for the moment of raw humanity they had just witnessed.
Later that night, Reba shared a quiet message on social media:
“Sometimes a song finds you right where your heart still hurts. But that’s what music is for — to remind us that love never dies.”
Her words, simple and honest, struck a chord with fans worldwide. Within hours, thousands of messages poured in from people sharing their own stories of grief and healing.
It was more than a performance — it was a moment of truth. A reminder that even legends feel loss, that even icons have hearts that break. And in her vulnerability, Reba McEntire once again showed the world why she remains one of the most beloved voices in country music: not just because she can sing, but because she can feel.
In that quiet, tearful moment, Reba didn’t just mourn — she reminded us all that love, even through loss, endures.
