It's been four months since the sudden passing of Brandon Blackstock, former talent agent and later the founder of Headwaters Livestock Auction at Valley View Rodeo in Montana.
Brandon passed away at the age of 48 following a private battle with melanoma. The only public indication of his ill health was a statement from his ex-wife Kelly Clarkson, who postponed a few of the dates of her Las Vegas residency to tend to him and especially their children, River and Remington.
© Getty ImagesIt was revealed in Brandon's obituary that he had been living for over a year with his partner Brittney Marie Jones, who happened to be Kelly's former assistant. The pair lived together in Montana and Brittney cared for him while he was sick.
Since then, she has assumed control over Headwaters as its managing director, regularly appearing on their social media pages (she maintains a private presence herself), and when she hosted Headwaters' holiday event, it received the loving support of one of Brandon's family members.
© InstagramThe late talent manager was first married to Melissa Ashworth, welcoming son Seth and daughter Savannah with her. Savannah took to her social media page (per People) to celebrate Brittney's efforts with Headwater's latest event and how it paid tribute to the legacy left behind by her father.
"Yesterday @headwaterslivestock had their very first Cowboy Christmas and Ranch horse sale…All my dad wanted to do was bring the community together, and @brittneymariej is doing the most beautiful job continuing to bring his dreams to life," she penned, noting that while she was "heartbroken" she couldn't attend herself, "I know it was magical and made my dad so proud of his team."
Brandon and Brittney's relationship wasn't publicly revealed until it was mentioned in his obituary. While Brittney remains out of the spotlight, she did post a message to the Headwaters website as its managing director.
"As many of you have heard, the owner of Valley View LLC dba Headwaters Livestock Auction, Brandon Blackstock, recently passed after his courageous battle with cancer," it read. "It's an unimaginable loss to all that knew him."
© Instagram"Brandon, and the team he trusted, have worked tirelessly over the last two years to make Headwaters Livestock Auction the best it can be and that doesn't end now," she continued. "Our team here at Headwaters Livestock Auction is fully prepared to facilitate a strong fall run for all our local producers, just as Brandon would have wanted us to."
"On behalf of Brandon, I'd also like to say thank you for trusting us and welcoming us as a part of your community. It continues to be a great honor to get to know you and your families, your hard-earned legacies and work towards the same goal of keeping agriculture alive and well."
© InstagramShe also thanked everyone who'd donated to the MSGA Brandon Blackstock Memorial Fund, part of the Montana Stockgrowers Foundation, which, per his obituary, is devoted to "investing in Montana's ranching community through leadership, education, and conservation."
