Clarkson, the "American Idol" star who shared two children with Blackstock, had just announced she was stepping away from concerts to support her family.

Brandon Blackstock, a talent manager and former husband of singer Kelly Clarkson, has died following a battle with cancer. He was 48.

Brandon Blackstock, whose marriage to and contentious split from Kelly Clarkson put him in the celebrity spotlight, has died of cancer at age 48.