Themetta Suggs Was Chuck Berry’s Wife for 7 Decades until His Death

Themetta Suggs was the only woman the late legendary Chuck Berry called his wife for 68 years. The couple had their share of trouble in their marriage and even separated at one point. Still, they reconciled and remained together until the musician died in the late 2010s.

In 2013, Bruce Pegg released an ebook version of the biography “Brown Eyed Handsome Man: The Life and Hard Times of Chuck Berry,” originally published in 2002. It chronicled the life of Chuck Berry, born Charles Berry, going into some detail about his marriage.

The late Rock ‘n’ Roll genius tied the knot with Themetta Suggs within months of knowing her, and the pair almost immediately began expanding their family. They lived long enough to see more generations come about from their children, and the Berrys remained close-knit following the death of their patriarch.

Suggs met Berry in his hometown of St. Louis Ville in Missouri during the May Day Celebrations in 1948. She worked for a dry cleaning store then, and it had been about seven months since Berry’s release from prison.

Suggs was described as a woman with striking beauty. One of Berry’s former lawyers, Merle Silverstein, who represented the guitarist in the late 1950s and early ’60s, said she looked like a Polynesian princess.

Although Berry had a prison record, Suggs was attracted to him, and within five months of dating, the pair were married. In 1950, they moved into a three-room cottage and welcomed their first child that October.

In 1959, Berry was charged with transporting a teenage girl across US state lines “for immoral purposes.” She reportedly worked as a hatcheck girl at his bar, Club Bandstand in St. Louis. He endured two trials in which he was found guilty, but the first verdict was overturned.

He served 20 months in prison, and upon his return in 1964, he learned his wife had left him. The media speculated how Berry’s convicted crime affected his marriage, with some even claiming he and Suggs lived apart following his return.

In a 1983 interview, their eldest child confirmed they did. Suggs left their home in Windermere Place and found a house in Richmond Heights, and Berry moved to Berry Park and Wentzville. Despite their separation, however, Suggs and Berry remained on amicable terms.

They still spent time as a family on holidays or whenever the occasion called for it. It’s unclear when they reconciled, but Suggs accompanied her husband when he won the National Music Award in 1976. Berry was seen giving her a “big kiss” before ascending the stage to receive it.

The lovebirds celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1998 by renewing their vows. By then, they were great-grandparents, as their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren were all in attendance.

Suggs and Berry first welcomed their daughter, Darlin Ingrid Berry, followed by Melody Eskridge, Aloha Isa Leigh, and Charles Berry Jr. Ingrid and Charles inherited their father’s musical talent, as they have shown through the years.