Dolly Parton recently shared heartfelt advice with Kelly Clarkson following the death of her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock, who passed away at 48 due to melanoma. 

After losing her own husband, Carl Dean, earlier this year, Parton drew from her experience to offer words of comfort. She encouraged Clarkson to focus on the positive memories of their time together, saying, “I think you just have to be grateful for the years that you’ve had with someone, and just try to remember the very best of all that.” 

Parton also suggested that Clarkson should take the energy from those memories and “just recycle that and let that become a part of you”. She emphasised the importance of honoring Blackstock’s memory and finding solace in the idea that loved ones are “in a better place than we are these days”.

The pop queen, who hasn’t spoken to Clarkson yet, plans to catch up with her soon, saying, “I love Kelly. I love Reba,” referring also to Reba McEntire, Blackstock’s former stepmother. The two will collaborate on publicity for Parton’s new memoir, “Star of the Show: My Life on Stage”.

Reba McEntire has also shared her thoughts on Blackstock’s passing, posting a heartfelt message on Instagram. “Last week, my stepson/oldest son Brandon Blackstock went home to be with God,” she wrote. 

“His struggle is over, and he is in eternal peace in God’s presence. There is no one else like him, and I’m thankful for the time we had together.”

Clarkson and Blackstock were married for seven years and have two children together. While Clarkson hasn’t publicly addressed his death, she did postpone her Las Vegas residency shows to care for her children during his illness