Elisa Gayle Ritter is best known as the first wife of music manager Narvel Blackstock. The former couple married in 1973 and had three children: Shawna Rene, Brandon, and Chassidy Celeste Blackstock.
Elisa and Narvel divorced in 1988. She later married Daniel Gilbert in 1989. She is also known as the mother of the late talent manager Brandon Blackstock and the former mother-in-law of singer Kelly Clarkson.
Elisa Gayle Ritter’s Profile Overview
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Elisa Gayle Ritter |
| Also known as | Elisa Gayle Ritter-Gilbert |
| Date of birth | January 6, 1956 |
| Age | 70 years old as of 2026 |
| Reported birthplace | Tarrant County, Texas, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| First husband | Narvel Blackstock |
| Marriage to Narvel | 1973–1988 |
| Current husband | Daniel Gilbert |
| Marriage to Daniel | August 1989 |
| Children | 3 |
| Children’s names | Shawna Rene, Brandon, Chassidy Celeste |
| Known for | Being Narvel Blackstock’s first wife and Brandon Blackstock’s mother |
| Reported profession | Producer and manager, but details are not well documented |
| Net worth | Not reliably known |
Elisa Gayle Ritter Was Born in Texas
Elisa Gayle Ritter was born on January 6, 1956. Her birthplace is commonly reported as Tarrant County, Texas.
She is an American citizen.
Very little is publicly known about her childhood. The names of her parents have not been reliably reported. It is also unclear whether she has any siblings.
Details about Elisa’s education are not publicly available.
Elisa Married Narvel Blackstock in 1973
Elisa married Narvel Blackstock when they were both young. Their wedding is reported to have taken place on March 30, 1973.
Some online biographies say Elisa was 16 when she married. However, if her reported January 6, 1956 birth date and March 30, 1973 wedding date are correct, she was 17 years old at the time.
Narvel was also young and was beginning his career in music.
The couple remained married for about 15 years. Their divorce was reportedly finalized in March 1988.
They had three children during their marriage: Shawna Rene, Brandon, and Chassidy Celeste Blackstock.
Who Is Narvel Blackstock?
Narvel Blackstock is an American music manager and former musician.
He started his career as a steel guitar player before moving into music management. He later became associated with Starstruck Entertainment and worked with well-known country music artists.
After his divorce from Elisa, Narvel married country singer Reba McEntire in 1989. They had one son together, Shelby Steven Blackstock, who was born in February 1990.
Narvel and Reba divorced in 2015 after 26 years of marriage.
Reports say Narvel later married Nashville real estate agent Laura Putty Stroud in April 2024.
Elisa Gayle Ritter and Daniel Gilbert
Elisa remarried after her divorce from Narvel.
She reportedly married Daniel Gilbert in August 1989. Recent family posts cited by published reports show that the couple has remained together for more than three decades.
Daniel marked their 33rd wedding anniversary in August 2022. Reports also say the couple celebrated their 35th anniversary in Jackson Hole in 2024.
Daniel has publicly described Elisa as a wife, mother, cowgirl, designer, manager, and co-pastor.
Older online biographies sometimes state that Elisa never publicly remarried after Narvel. More recent information about her marriage to Daniel shows that this claim is outdated.
Elisa Gayle Ritter Has Three Children
Elisa and Narvel Blackstock had three children together.
Their daughters, Shawna and Chassidy, have generally stayed outside the public spotlight. Their son, Brandon, followed his father into the entertainment management business.
Shawna Rene Blackstock
Shawna Rene Blackstock is Elisa and Narvel’s eldest child. She was reportedly born in 1973.
Shawna has kept most details about her life private. Recent reports identify her husband as Jason Slade Meyers.
Brandon Blackstock
Brandon Blackstock was born on December 16, 1976, in Fort Worth, Texas.
He became a talent manager and worked with Starstruck Entertainment. His professional connections included artists such as Blake Shelton, Rascal Flatts, and Kelly Clarkson.
Brandon also became involved in ranching. Reports say he founded Valley View Rodeo, a rodeo production business in Montana.
He was married twice and had four children.
Brandon died on August 7, 2025, at age 48 after suffering from cancer.
Chassidy Celeste Blackstock
Chassidy Celeste Blackstock was born on November 14, 1978.
Like her older sister, Chassidy has kept much of her personal life private.
Reports say she has been married to Scott Standefer since 2000.
Elisa Was Kelly Clarkson’s Mother-in-Law
Elisa became connected to singer Kelly Clarkson through her son Brandon.
Brandon married Kelly in October 2013 at Blackberry Farm in Tennessee. They had two children together.
Their daughter, River Rose Blackstock, was born in June 2014. Their son, Remington Alexander Blackstock, was born in April 2016.
Kelly filed for divorce from Brandon in June 2020. Their divorce was finalized in March 2022.
Elisa is therefore Kelly Clarkson’s former mother-in-law.
Brandon Blackstock’s First Marriage and Children
Before marrying Kelly Clarkson, Brandon was married to Melissa Ashworth.
They were reportedly married from 2001 until 2012 and had two children.
Their daughter, Savannah Blackstock, was born in June 2002. Their son, Seth Blackstock, was born in November 2006.
Together with River and Remington, these are Brandon’s four children.
Elisa Gayle Ritter Is a Grandmother and Great-Grandmother
Elisa has several grandchildren through her children.
Four of her grandchildren come from Brandon’s two marriages: Savannah, Seth, River Rose, and Remington.
Reports say Elisa became a great-grandmother in January 2022 when Savannah welcomed a child with Quentin Lee.
In 2025, Savannah and Quentin also announced that they were expecting another child. Reliable details about the reported second child are limited in the information available.
Elisa Gayle Ritter and Reba McEntire Are Different People
Elisa Gayle Ritter is often confused online with country singer Reba McEntire.
They are not the same person.
The main connection between them is Narvel Blackstock. Elisa was Narvel’s first wife. Reba became his second wife in 1989.
Another reason for the confusion is the use of incorrect photographs online. Searches for Elisa have sometimes shown photos of Reba. Some websites have even used Reba’s pictures while discussing Elisa.
Because of this, claims that Elisa and Reba look almost identical should be treated carefully. Some of the supposed comparison photographs actually show Reba rather than Elisa.
Reba McEntire Became Stepmother to Elisa’s Children
When Reba married Narvel, she became stepmother to Shawna, Brandon, and Chassidy.
Reba developed a close relationship with them. In a 2010 interview, she explained that she considered Narvel’s children part of her family rather than simply calling them stepchildren.
Reba maintained her connection with the family even after her marriage to Narvel ended.
What Does Elisa Gayle Ritter Do?
Several online biographies describe Elisa as a TV producer, music producer, manager, or television personality.
Some also claim she worked with Narvel and helped manage artists such as Reba McEntire, Kelly Clarkson, and Blake Shelton.
However, reliable professional records supporting these claims are limited. There are no widely documented production credits or management records confirming the full career history often attributed to her online.
For this reason, her exact professional career is not clearly established.
More recent family information has described Elisa as a manager, designer, cowgirl, and co-pastor, but details about these roles remain limited.
Elisa Gayle Ritter’s Net Worth
Elisa Gayle Ritter’s personal net worth is not reliably known.
There is not enough public information about her income, assets, or professional career to give an accurate figure.
Is Elisa Gayle Ritter Related to John Ritter?
There is no known family relationship between Elisa Gayle Ritter and actor John Ritter.
They share the Ritter surname, but no reliable information shows that they are related.
Elisa Gayle Ritter’s Social Media
Recent reports point to a Facebook account using the name Elisa Gilbert. Family photographs and posts involving Daniel Gilbert have also appeared online.
However, Elisa does not maintain the same level of public social media presence as members of the Blackstock family who work in entertainment.
Things to Know About Elisa Gayle Ritter
- Elisa Gayle Ritter was born on January 6, 1956.
- She is reportedly from Tarrant County, Texas.
- She married Narvel Blackstock on March 30, 1973.
- Elisa and Narvel had three children.
- Their children are Shawna Rene, Brandon, and Chassidy Celeste Blackstock.
- Elisa and Narvel divorced in 1988 after about 15 years of marriage.
- Elisa reportedly married Daniel Gilbert in August 1989.
- She and Daniel have been married for more than 35 years.
- Her son Brandon became a talent manager.
- Brandon was married to Melissa Ashworth and later Kelly Clarkson.
- Brandon had four children and died in August 2025 at age 48.
- Elisa is Kelly Clarkson’s former mother-in-law.
- Reba McEntire became stepmother to Elisa’s three children after marrying Narvel.
- Elisa and Reba McEntire are different people.
- Some photographs labeled as Elisa online are actually pictures of Reba.
- Elisa’s exact professional career and personal net worth are not reliably documented.
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