Kelly Clarkson's Ex-Husband Brandon Blackstock's First Wife Speaks Out

Kelly Clarkson -- Brandon Blackstock's second ex-wife -- has been front and center since his death ... but his first ex, Melissa Ashworth, is now grabbing the spotlight.

Over the weekend, Ashworth took to Instagram to post a tribute to Blackstock, who died August 7 following a long battle with melanoma, a form of skin cancer. She was married to him from 2001 to 2012, before he tied the knot with Clarkson in 2013. Both marriages ultimately ended in divorce.

In her IG post, Melissa describes Brandon as witty, charming and an "absolute gentleman who happened to wear cowboy boots, wrangler jeans, and a cowboy hat." She says he was the greatest dad and "loved hard and he fought hard."

Brandon and Melissa share two children -- Seth, 18, and Savannah, 23 -- both of whom were featured in a pic alongside Melissa's tribute. She also included a black-and-white photo from their wedding day, showing the couple all dressed up years ago.

Melissa went on to say, “The best thing Brandon has left for his children is they know where he is. I’ve heard it said, ‘Nothing is lost when you know where it is’ and Brandon is with Jesus his Savior.”

Their son Seth has also spoken out -- calling his father a "hero" and saying, "There's no one else on this earth that I would want to be my dad because no one can be half the man you were to me."

Just before Brandon's death, Clarkson made headlines after she announced she was postponing her Las Vegas residency because of Blackstock's health issues -- explaining she needed to be with their two children, Remington and River Rose.

There were rumors Kelly was leaving "The Kelly Clarkson Show" because of her numerous absences, which was also linked to Blackstock's illness.