Brandon Blackstock's final photograph shows him smiling alongside his pregnant daughter Savannah Lee

Now, in what is believed to be the final photograph taken of him before his death, Brandon has been revealed to have appeared happy before his passing.

His daughter captioned the snap by saying she was "back home to the mountains and my daddy".

A statement announcing Brandon's death said he had been diagnosed with melanoma and had recently entered hospice care before "passing away peacefully" surrounded by family.

On 20 July, Savannah, 23, posted what is thought to be the final image of him on Facebook.

In it, both she and Brandon wore casual black clothing and smiled for the camera.

Brandon rested one arm around his daughter's shoulders while propping one leg on a picnic bench, wearing a baseball cap and Ugg boots.

Savannah, who is expecting her second child, posed with one hand in her pocket, leaning into her father.

A few weeks earlier, Savannah - who has a three-year-old son - announced on Instagram she was pregnant again.

She said: "My little girl will be making her arrival at the beginning of January.

"This journey has been so special full of peace, excitement, and so much grace."

She also thanked God for being "so faithful" and said: "His kindness in this season has left (us) in awe."

Brandon shared Savannah and her brother Seth Blackstock with his first wife, Melissa Ashworth, whom he married in 2001 and divorced in 2012.

He was later married to Kelly Clarkson from 2013 to 2022, with whom he had two children - daughter River, 11, and son Remington, nine.

A spokesperson said about his death: "It is with great sadness that we share the news that Brandon Blackstock has passed away.

"He bravely battled cancer for more than three years. He passed away peacefully and was surrounded by family. We thank you for your thoughts and prayers and ask everyone to respect the family's privacy during this very difficult time."

The day before Brandon's death, Kelly, 43, announced she was cancelling the remaining August dates of her Las Vegas residency, saying she needed to be "fully present" for their children as her ex-husband was "ill".

The former couple's last red carpet appearance together was in January 2020 at the Critics' Choice Awards. Clarkson filed for divorce five months later.