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\n\tLast week, Kelly Clarkson<\/a>\u00a0postponed<\/a>\u00a0the remainder of her Las Vegas residency dates for August, revealing that her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock<\/a>, was ill.<\/span> Just one day later, the music manager, with whom she shares two children, died <\/a>at the age of 48 following a three-year battle with cancer. While Clarkson kept this family matter private, the cracks in her armor began to show during particularly emotional performances in the weeks leading up to Blackstock\u2019s death.<\/p>\n \n\tIn late July, Clarkson powered through the ballad \u201cPiece by Piece,\u201d which was written about Blackstock and released in 2015. \u201cI\u2019ve never rewritten a song more, and I probably never will,\u201d she said on stage. \u201cI 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, \u2018Wait, why aren\u2019t you singing this song?\u2019 And I was like, \u2018Have you heard the lyrics?\u2019 That\u2019s fun. Embarrassing.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tClarkson and Blackstock finalized their divorce in 2022, nine years after they tied the knot. Clarkson first filed in 2020, citing irreconcilable differences. It was around that time that the singer began updating the lyrics<\/a> to \u201cPiece by Piece,\u201d on which she originally sang \u201cPiece by piece, he restored my faith\/That a man can be kind and a father could stay.\u201d On the updated version, she sang, \u201cAnd you know\/I just walk away when they ask for money\/I take care of me, cause I love me\/Piece by piece, I restored my faith\/That a heart can still beat, even when it breaks.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI ended up changing the lyrics. We did it one time, I did a residency here, and then I was like, \u2018You know what, that sounded a little angry,\u2019\u201c Clarkson continued. \u201cSo I just wanted to explain how it feels now. I\u2019m 43. I\u2019ve done some therapy, and I changed the lyrics now, and I think it\u2019s perfect. I promise. I\u2019m not gonna change it again.\u201d<\/p>\n