Getting to Know Reba McEntire’s Son, Shelby Blackstock, and His Journey in NASCAR
Shelby Blackstock and mother Reba McEntire in April 2020.
Credit:
Shelby Blackstock/Instagram
NEED TO KNOW
- Reba McEntire welcomed son Shelby Blackstock on February 23, 1990, with former husband Narvel Blackstock.
- While McEntire and Blackstock divorced in 2015, she has stated that she considers his other children as her own.
- Shelby, a former NASCAR driver, co-founded a construction company.
Reba McEntire has proudly embraced motherhood since the birth of her son, Shelby Steven McEntire Blackstock, on February 23, 1990.
Born just a year after McEntire and Narvel Blackstock wed in June 1989, Shelby is the couple’s only child together. They were married for 26 years before their divorce in 2015.
In an interview with PEOPLE in October 2022, McEntire expressed pride in her son, stating, “I’m very proud of him. He’s always trying to improve and do better. His daddy did a great job too.”
McEntire elaborated on the emotional impact of motherhood, saying, “Shelby is a gift from God to me. We’re very close. I was a very self-centered person before Shelby. Then there’s a little character who you are given the job to protect and nurture and love and teach.”
In December 2023, she reflected on her happiness, attributing part of it to Shelby’s well-being, saying, “I’m at a really good place in my life. I’m happy, I’m in love. My kids are all healthy. My family’s healthy. So I’m happy.”
Beyond Shelby, McEntire has expressed affection for Narvel’s other children, including Brandon Blackstock, who tragically passed away from cancer in August 2025. “Brandon’s been my son forever, it seems,” she reflected in a 2021 interview.
On December 3, McEntire is set to host the renowned Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, where she will perform.
This article explores key aspects of Shelby Blackstock’s life.
He was born in 1990
Shelby Blackstock.
Shelby Blackstock Instagram
Shelby was born on February 23, 1990, less than a year after McEntire and Blackstock’s wedding. He is their only child together; Blackstock has three other children from a previous marriage.
According to reports, Shelby spent his early years in Nashville before moving to New York City at age nine to join McEntire, who was making her Broadway debut in the revival of Annie Get Your Gun.
At ten, following McEntire’s casting in the sitcom Reba, the family relocated to Los Angeles. Shelby eventually moved to Cornelius, North Carolina.
McEntire noted that during her busy career, she received significant support in raising Shelby. “I had the best nannies, and I took him on the road with me,” she said in a 2023 interview. “I wanted to be with Shelby. Still do.”
He is a former NASCAR driver
Shelby Blackstock, Ryan Booth and Neil Alberico at the Indy Lights race during the IndyCar Series Grand Prix in Houston, Texas.
Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon SMI/Corbis/Icon Sportswire/Getty
Shelby began his journey as a NASCAR driver in 2011. During his freshman year at the University of Arizona, he decided to pursue racing full-time and agreed with McEntire to complete two semesters before diving into his passion.
Reflecting on his racing career, McEntire commented in 2020 that she had “no idea” it was on Shelby’s radar but fully supported him. He debuted five months before his first successful start at the 2011 Continental Tire Challenge Grand-Am 200.
Her excitement was palpable when she shared, “Watching Shelby on the track racing at 170MPH was the biggest rush I’ve ever had! We’re very proud and thankful to God for keeping him safe.”
In 2020, Shelby achieved the title of GT World Challenge America Overall Champion.
He founded a clothing brand
Shelby also created Hartland, a clothing brand focused on outdoor apparel. The brand’s mission emphasizes community-building and a love for the outdoors, although its Instagram account has remained inactive since September 2021.
Currently, Shelby serves as a business development manager at Global Source Advisors, which distributes healthcare products and services in the U.S. Since March 2020, he has also engaged in real estate and investment projects, while being listed as a principal at B&R Developments, a Nashville-based construction company.
He married wife Marissa Branch in 2022
Shelby Blackstock proposing to his girlfriend Marissa Branch on New Year’s Eve 2020.
Shelby Blackstock Instagram
Shelby proposed to Marissa Branch, a social media influencer and licensed esthetician, on New Year’s Eve in 2020. The couple initially met on Tinder in 2014 but began dating two years later.
Reflecting on their relationship, they stated, “We made fast friends early on and have had a strong bond ever since. If we had dated immediately, we likely wouldn’t be as prepared to deserve one another.”
They exchanged vows in a fairytale ceremony at Walt Disney World’s Epcot on February 12, 2022, where Branch walked down the aisle to “Tale as Old as Time” from Beauty and the Beast. She noted it as the “first place Shelby said ‘I love you’.”
Branch added, “We’ve known each other for so long, from both a ‘just friends’ to a dating perspective. Tackling whatever life throws our way as husband and wife excites us more than anything.”
He is a mega Disney fan
Shelby Blackstock and Marissa Branch pose in front of the Millennium Falcon at Walt Disney World.
Shelby Blackstock Instagram
Known for his affection for Disney, Shelby stated, “I grew up watching everything Disney and going to all the parks. I know it’s a kid’s playground, but we’re big grown-up kids.”
He has a particular fondness for Star Wars, sharing many posts detailing his love for the franchise, including one captioned “May the 4th be with you!” during a visit to the Millennium Falcon.
On the significance of Disney, he expressed, “It brought the entire family together” for his wedding, highlighting its role as a unifying space.
He has paid tribute to his dad
Narvel Blackstock holding his son Shelby Blackstock as a baby.
Shelby Blackstock Instagram
While Shelby is not often vocal about his father on social media, he pays tribute each Father’s Day. “Words can’t describe how much I love you and how much you have impacted my life. Thank you for everything!” he wrote in a heartfelt post on Instagram.
Previously, he shared a black-and-white photo of the two with the caption, “Thank you for being the best dad and role model.”
He lives in Nashville with his wife and two dogs
Shelby Blackstock and his wife Marissa Branch with their dogs.
Shelby Blackstock Instagram
Shelby currently resides in Nashville with his wife, Marissa, to be closer to family. Marissa relocated from Indiana to North Carolina to join Shelby, and they later moved into a new home in Charlotte.
The pair has two dogs, Belle the husky and Watson the corgi, who accompany them on various adventures from pumpkin patches to snow days.
He has visited Reba on the set of Happy’s Place
Shelby Blackstock visits Reba McEntire on the set of ‘Happy’s Place.’
Marissa Blackstone/ Instagram
In November 2024, Shelby and Marissa visited Reba and her boyfriend, Rex Linn, on the set of their NBC sitcom Happy’s Place at Universal Studios in Los Angeles.
The couple shared their excitement about the experience on Instagram, expressing, “We found our Happy Place! Getting a front-row seat to the magic of TV—table reads, blocking, and rehearsals—was so interesting!”
