For more than three decades, Narvel Blackstock has been the quiet constant behind some of Nashville’s most familiar careers. A former steel-guitar player turned manager and producer, he co-built the Starstruck brand that helped steer artists through album cycles, arena tours, and TV opportunities—often letting the artists take the spotlight while he stayed offstage. In 2025, he remains a reference point for how hands-on, relationship-driven management can shape the trajectory of a modern country star.
Narvel Blackstock at a glance (2025)
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Narvel Wayne Blackstock |
| Date of birth | August 31, 1956 (Tarrant County, Texas) |
| Age (Aug 2025) | 68 |
| Occupations | Talent manager, producer (film/TV/music) |
| Company | Starstruck Entertainment – owner/operator; founded 1988 |
| Notable producing/TV credits | Malibu Country (2012) and other projects (producer) |
| Marriages | Elisa Gayle Ritter (1973–1988); Reba McEntire (1989–2015; divorced Oct. 28, 2015) |
| Children | Shawna Rene, Chassidy Celeste, Brandon (with Ritter); Shelby (with McEntire) |
| Known for | Building and managing careers via Starstruck; long-time professional partnership with Reba McEntire |
| Social media | No widely used verified personal accounts as of 2025 |
Early life & music beginnings
Born in Tarrant County, Texas, in 1956, Blackstock started in the industry as a steel-guitar player, eventually shifting from bandstand to back office—where his instincts for logistics, talent development, and brand stewardship proved invaluable. Public documentation of his earliest years is sparse, but by the late 1980s he had formalized his managerial ambitions in Nashville.
Building Starstruck Entertainment (and a management playbook)
Starstruck’s founding and footprint
In 1988, Blackstock helped establish what became Starstruck Entertainment, a Nashville management and studio complex designed to be a full-service hub: artist development, management, publishing, and recording under one brand. Today, Starstruck lists Blackstock as owner and operator; the company’s studios and offices anchor its Music Row presence.
From the outset, Starstruck’s philosophy emphasized long-term relationships: aligning touring, media, and release calendars so an artist’s momentum compounds rather than spikes and fades. That approach—patient but ambitious—reflected Blackstock’s temperament. He wasn’t the manager elbowing into photos; he was the manager refining the plan.
Expanding into production
Blackstock’s IMDb page shows producer credits alongside music management—evidence of a strategy many Nashville power brokers eventually adopt: leverage relationships and A&R instincts into television projects that broaden an artist’s reach. Titles associated with his producer role include “Malibu Country” (2012), which intertwined country branding with network TV exposure.
Marriage to Reba McEntire and a defining professional partnership
Personal and professional lives intertwined
Blackstock’s second marriage—to Reba McEntire—spanned from 1989 until their divorce on October 28, 2015 (McEntire publicly confirmed the final date on Facebook). Through those decades, he functioned not only as a spouse but as a manager and strategic partner, shepherding one of country music’s most resilient franchises across albums, tours, a sitcom, and brand pivots.
McEntire’s own timeline underscores the post-split transition: she later moved management functions in-house via Reba’s Business Inc., an evolution that marked the close of a long collaboration while confirming Blackstock’s centrality in her earlier business operations.
Family connections and the next generation
Blackstock and McEntire share one son, Shelby Steven McEntire Blackstock (born 1990), who built a career as a professional driver before broadening into business ventures; mainstream outlets like People have profiled his path and his close relationship with both parents.
Family: children, relationships, and a complicated public narrative
Before marrying McEntire, Blackstock was married to Elisa Gayle Ritter (1973–1988). They had three children together—Shawna Rene, Chassidy Celeste, and Brandon—a family tree that, decades later, would become part of pop-culture headlines due to Brandon’s marriage to (and later divorce from) Kelly Clarkson. IMDb’s biographical entry concisely lists both marriages and the children.
The 2020s thrust the Blackstock name back into news cycles more than once. In August 2025, Brandon Blackstock passed away at 48 after a private battle with cancer, a loss reported by multiple major outlets; obituaries listed Narvel among his survivors. Those remembrances again highlighted the family’s intertwined entertainment footprints—management, production, and performing—across two generations.
Management style & impact
Peers and artists often describe Blackstock’s work in terms that don’t always make headlines: calm under pressure, patient negotiation, and careful brand extension. The Starstruck model consolidated services—publicity coordination, studio access, tour planning—so an artist’s creative and commercial arcs could be managed holistically.
In practice, that meant:
- Long-range roadmaps: planning album cycles around touring windows and TV opportunities.
- Selective media: prioritizing shows and features that reinforced an artist’s narrative rather than chasing every headline.
- Brand adjacencies: TV projects (per IMDb) and partnerships that kept artists culturally visible between album eras.
It’s a style that avoids hype in favor of durable equity—the kind of work that, when done well, rarely calls attention to itself.
Age, height, and social media (2025)
- Age: As of August 2025, Narvel Blackstock is 68 (born August 31, 1956).
- Height: Not publicly documented in official records.
- Social media: There are no widely used verified personal accounts for Narvel Blackstock. Starstruck Entertainment, however, maintains an official website and studio presence detailing services and contact information. For creators optimizing pages with social markup, it’s more accurate to link to the company rather than a personal handle.
SEO note: When an executive’s personal social handles don’t exist or aren’t verified, resist the temptation to list placeholders. Linking to the official company site (Starstruck Entertainment) improves credibility and reduces bounce.
Net worth: what’s known (and what isn’t)
Fans often search for “Narvel Blackstock net worth”, but there is no Forbes-verified figure specific to him. Public estimates vary widely on blogs and entertainment sites, and many conflate Starstruck’s assets with personal wealth. Given:
- decades as an owner-operator of a Nashville management and studio company, and
- producer credits on film/TV projects,
…it’s reasonable to infer multi-million-dollar lifetime earnings, but citing a single precise number would be speculative. When accuracy matters (as it should), the most responsible approach is to acknowledge the uncertainty and foreground the verified business facts—Starstruck’s founding, ownership, and operations.
Bottom line: Treat exact net-worth figures for Blackstock as unverified unless a primary financial outlet publishes them.
Key dates & verified milestones
- 1988: Starstruck’s studio/management footprint established in Nashville.
- 1989: Marries Reba McEntire (professional partnership continues for decades).
- 2012: Producer credit on “Malibu Country” (ABC).
- 2015: Reba confirms their divorce finalized on Oct. 28, 2015 (via Facebook; widely reported by People).
- 2025: Death of son Brandon Blackstock at 48, with obituaries naming Narvel among immediate survivors.
Frequently searched questions about Narvel Blackstock (concise answers)
How old is Narvel Blackstock in 2025?
He is 68 (born August 31, 1956).
Who are Narvel Blackstock’s children?
Shawna, Chassidy, and Brandon (with Elisa Gayle Ritter); Shelby (with Reba McEntire).
What is Starstruck Entertainment?
A Nashville talent-development and management firm (with recording studios) owned and operated by Narvel Blackstock.
Is there a confirmed net worth from Forbes?
No. Forbes has not published a dedicated, verified figure for Narvel Blackstock’s net worth; online estimates remain unverified. The solid, citable fact is his long-running ownership and operation of Starstruck.
Is Narvel on Instagram?
No widely used verified personal accounts. Use Starstruck’s official site for authoritative reference.
Why Narvel Blackstock still matters in 2025
In the era of viral discovery and algorithmic playlists, managers who build careers across cycles—not just viral moments—are rare. Blackstock’s career illustrates how infrastructure and trust (studios, staff, long-tenured teams) can keep an artist relevant through changing formats and platforms. It’s the type of stewardship that doesn’t always trend—but it lasts.
Just as importantly, Blackstock’s story reminds us that the personal and professional often blur in entertainment. His decades-long partnership with Reba McEntire was both a marriage and a management case study; their 2015 split closed one chapter, and both parties moved forward professionally.
For readers navigating the business of music, Blackstock’s path is instructive:
- invest in capabilities (studios, teams),
- commit to coherent narratives around artists, and
- play the long game.
Conclusion: The manager in the margins
Narvel Blackstock rarely grants the kind of interviews that turn executives into celebrities. Yet his fingerprints are all over a generation of country music logistics—tour routing, TV crossovers, and the calm execution that lets a star stay focused on the work. In an industry often obsessed with flash, his career has been an argument for endurance.
If you came here looking for a viral number to summarize his wealth, you won’t find a verified one. What you will find—across Music Row and on the credits pages—is a decades-long portfolio of quiet decisions with loud outcomes. That’s its own kind of legacy.