Kelly Clarkson Performed In Vegas Days Before Her Ex-Husband Passed Away
Kelly Clarkson was in the middle of her Las Vegas residency, Studio Sessions, when her ex-husband’s health rapidly declined, although she didn’t let anyone know this until August 6 when she postponed several show dates.
In the days leading up to his passing, Clarkson was still performing and making headlines for her vulnerable performances.
RELATED: Kelly Clarkson Sheds Tears Singing Her Emotional New Rendition Of “Piece By Piece”
And while each show is Vegas had its own highlight, there was one show that caught people’s attention due to just how emotional she was during the performance. It has now resurfaced because of how close it was to the August 7th passing of her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock.
Brandon Blackstock, a former talent manager and Kelly Clarkson’s ex-husband (pictured far right), died in August 2025. (Photo Credit: Michael Buckner / Getty Images for Celebrity Fight Night)12 Days Before Brandon’s Passing, Kelly Became Emotional On Stage
During her July 26th show, which turned out to be 12 days before Blackstock passed away, Clarkson got incredibly emotional while talking about her song “Piece By Piece,” which was originally written about Blackstock, whom she was married to from 2013-2020.
“Piece By Piece” was about Blackstock picking up Clarkson, in pieces, and showing her what a great man, husband, and father looked like after dealing with her own father abandoning her, her mom, and siblings, as a young child.
Some original lyrics were:
“He never walks awayHe never asks for moneyHe takes care of meHe loves mePiece by piece, he restored my faithThat a man can be kind and a father could stay“
Following her divorce from Blackstock, she changed the lyrics to:
“I just walk awayWhen they ask for moneyI take care of me’cause I love me”
Now, she debuted a “healed version” of the song, replacing those exact lyrics with,
“I’m learning every dayhow to love meI let go of the shamethat you taught me,Piece by piece I restored my faithThat a heart can still beat even if it breaks”
During this show, she began crying while talking about the evolution of the song. She already was emotional, just knowing she had to explain one of her most vulnerable works.
“Compartmentalization!” she said into the mic. “I’ve never rewritten a song more and I probably never will. I wrote this song with a lot of hope and projection for happiness and better than what was happening. And then, well, life set in and I had to change the lyrics. Everybody was like, ‘Wait, why aren’t you singing this song?’ And I was like, ‘Have you heard the lyrics?’ That’s fun. Embarrassing.”
She continued, talking about how she has grown over the years through therapy and her re-writes show that side of her. Clarkson tried to continue talking, but her emotions got the best of her and she had to pause to wipe away more tears.
“Screw it, let’s just sing it. This is ‘Piece By Piece’,” she said.
Now that Brandon is gone, and we know that he was ill for so long, there are even more reasons for Kelly to be emotional. While she may not have loved him anymore, she had love for him once, and she has to be there for her children, who are “devastated” following his passing.
It proves that we really don’t know what’s going on in everyone’s life. Watch the emotional moment below.