The First Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, was filled with quiet grief. Gray clouds hung low, and soft light slipped through the stained-glass windows. Brandon Blackstock lay peacefully in a polished walnut coffin. Before it was carried inside, Kelly Clarkson paused at the church steps. Her voice was shaky, eyes red. “Let me sing for him… to comfort my mom and my kids,” she whispered. Then she began Because You Loved Me, her voice carrying on the morning wind. Blake Shelton stood still beside her, eyes wet, while Michael Bublé placed a steadying hand on her shoulder. Near the casket, Reba McEntire, in a long black gown and veil, sank to her knees. Her hands trembled on the wood as tears fell. “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you more,” she sobbed. The crowd lowered their heads, giving her space to mourn her stepson as if he were her own.

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This morning at exactly 9:00 a.m., the bells of the First Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas tolled slowly, their deep chimes echoing through the overcast streets….