“Daddy, How Do We Go On?” — Kelly Clarkson and Her Children’s Tearful Farewell to Brandon Blackstock

It was a quiet, gray afternoon when friends and family gathered inside the small chapel. The air was heavy with the scent of lilies, the soft flicker of candlelight casting shadows along the walls. At the front stood a polished wooden casket, draped with white roses — the final resting place of Brandon Blackstock.

Kelly Clarkson sat between her two children, River and Remington, their small hands gripping hers as though letting go would make the loss more real. Witnesses say the moment the officiant invited the family to approach the casket, the children could no longer hold back.

River, her eyes glistening, leaned forward and whispered through trembling lips:
“Daddy… how do I go on without you?”

Remington pressed his palm against the casket and quietly said:
“I’m going to miss you every single day, Dad.”

The chapel fell into a stillness so profound that even the sound of breathing seemed too loud. Kelly knelt down, pulling them into her arms, her tears falling freely as she kissed their foreheads. “He’s still here,” she whispered to them. “In us. Always.”

Then came the moment no one could have prepared for. Kelly took the microphone, her children standing beside her. She told the crowd, “This was Brandon’s favorite song… and today, it’s our gift to him.”

The first notes of “You’ll Be in My Heart” by Phil Collins began to play. Kelly’s voice cracked on the opening line:
“Come stop your crying, it will be all right…”

Halfway through the verse, River joined in, her childlike voice filling the chapel with an innocence that shattered every heart in the room. Then Remington stepped forward, his small voice merging with theirs for the chorus:
“Yes, you’ll be in my heart… from this day on, now and forever more.”

The harmonies weren’t perfect, but the emotion was undeniable — a mother and her children singing not just to remember, but to hold on. By the final chorus, the officiant was wiping away tears, and the entire congregation was on its feet, not in applause, but in quiet reverence for a family’s bravery.

When the last note faded, Kelly held the microphone for one final message. Her voice was steady, but her eyes told the story of a woman holding herself together for her children.

“Brandon was many things to many people… but to us, he was Daddy. The man who read bedtime stories, sang silly songs in the kitchen, and cheered the loudest from the stands. That’s the legacy we carry — not just his music, but his love.”

She placed a hand over her heart. “We will carry him here, in every song, every laugh, every moment we share.”

As the pallbearers carried the casket out, Kelly and her children stood arm in arm, whispering to each other while soft guitar music played. One witness swears they heard Kelly tell her kids:
“He may be gone from our sight… but he’s the melody we’ll sing for the rest of our lives.”