Teresa Barrick: A Life with Steven Tyler, Before & After

Teresa Barrick is an American fashion and clothing designer. She was best known for being married to Steven Tyler, frontman and lead vocals of the rock band Aerosmith. Barrick married Tyler in 1988 after a few years of romance. The pair were married for 17 years before finally divorcing in 2006.

For a high-profile couple, 17 years is a long time to stay married. Although they weren’t without their ups and downs. During the mid-2000s, much was said and written about their marriage and eventual separation.

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There were a lot of accusations, rumors, and speculation thrown around. But we’re taking an objective look at who Teresa Barrick was. Along with her romance and marriage to one of the most famous rock stars of our generation, Steven Tyler.

Teresa Barrick – Early Life

Teresa Barrick was born on the 26th of March, 1960, in the United States. The exact location of her birth and early childhood is not known. Her history prior to marriage with Tyler is relatively obscure and undiscovered. It just goes to show that Barrick did an excellent job of laying low and keeping a personal distance from the media, even during her years of fame.

Given her American citizenship, it is safe to say that Barrick was indeed born in the United States and raised in the country. However, besides this vague information, there’s nothing reliable on any other part of her birth and childhood.

Not much is known about Teresa’s family either. The only information available on her immediate family is a passing reference of a sister in Steven Tyler’s Biography (more on this and how they met later).

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Media reports do not have records of her schooling and education, with a lot of speculation running rife. We can say this because the information did not come from Teresa Barrick herself.

By the time she met Tyler, she was a clothing designer. This can only imply that her education could have possibly been related to the fashion industry and design. We assume she must have been an achiever too because her work was impressive enough to be noticed by the managers of Aerosmith.

Steven Tyler & Teresa Barrick

Much of what we know about how Steven Tyler and Teresa Barrick met is from the singer’s book. In Steven Tyler’s biography, the writer Laura Jackson mentions that Barrick had met Tyler sometime in 1983. It was a time when rock stars would frequent clubs at more discreet locations or holiday destinations to avoid the immediate media.

It was at one of these clubs in Lahaina in Maui, Hawaii, where Tyler and Barrick first met. During this first encounter, Barrick was merely one of the pretty faces adorning the dance floor of the club. Tyler, on the other hand, was probably intoxicated. However, even though Tyler may not have remembered, Barrick had kept him in mind ever since.

Laura Jackson also mentions Teresa Barrick’s sister (who has remained nameless) who had a mutual friend who knew Tyler and the band. It was through this connection that Teresa got invited to one of the band’s after-parties in Record Plant Studios, New York.

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Steven would later recount how he was blown away by Barrick’s charm and beauty that evening. Even though they had met before. It’s safe to assume that Tyler probably wouldn’t have remembered their first encounter in Hawaii.

Tyler, at the time, was going through a divorce with his first wife, Cyrinda Foxe (another gorgeous blonde during her day). He asked Barrick to stay over, to which she agreed. Thus, began the romance between Tyler and Barrick that would begin a new phase in both of their lives.

Tying the Knot with Steven Tyler

Following a few years of romance and courtship, Steven Tyler married Teresa Barrick in 1988 in a small ceremony in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The marriage was surprisingly made very low-key and without much publicity. Many believed that with Tyler’s rising fame, the couple chose to keep it within the family and close friends.

The choice of Tusla, Oklahoma has led many to believe that it is Barrick’s hometown. However, there is no reliable evidence that confirms whether Teresa Barrick was from Tulsa or not. Fellow musicians and celebrities later recount how they were also surprised at how small the ceremony was.

The marriage also points to the fact that Teresa Barrick was a woman who enjoyed her space and privacy from the limelight.

Prior to his marriage to Teresa, Steven Tyler had already been married to the former actress, Cyrinda Foxe. He had a daughter, Mia Tyler, from this first marriage. It is interesting to note that Cyrinda Foxe and Tyler had only divorced barely a year before he married Barrick.

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Naturally, there has been speculation about how Barrick may have ruined Tyler’s marriage with Foxe. However, close friends have since revealed that Tyler’s marriage with Foxe was already on shaky ground. A divorce between the singer and actress was impending and inevitable. But Barrick did face some criticism at how closely her marriage was tied with Tyler’s divorce.

Married Life & Children

Before their marriage, Teresa Barrick was already overseeing much of the costume and clothing design for Aerosmith. Tyler’s colorful and flashy costumes during this era owe a lot to Barrick’s creativity.

Although Barrick was mostly known as Steven Tyler’s wife, there was no doubt that she was a successful woman in her own right. After their marriage broke down, Barrick’s professional association with the band continued. She designed most of the outfits that the group wore throughout the 1990s and after.

As a wife, Barrick is said to have been supportive and a calm influence on Tyler. Laura Jackson reminds us in Tyler’s biography that he wasn’t at his best when he and Barrick met. So, besides fame, Steven Tyler really did not have a lot to show during that time.

The band was also going through a slump in contracts and gigs as well as an ensuing rift between Tyler and bandmate Joe Perry. In the biography, Teresa Barrick is referred to as ‘Steven’s Saviour.’ It was probably because of the manner and timing with which she came into his life.

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Throughout the engagement and marriage, Barrick is said to have encouraged Tyler to reach out to Perry and reconnect. We do not know how far this would have helped in making amends, but it certainly must have helped the two stars reconcile.

Soon after the wedding, Teresa was expecting their first child. In March 1989, she gave birth to their first child, Chelsea Tyler, also known as Chelsea Anna Tallarico. Three years later, in 1991, Barrick gave birth to their second child, Taj Tyler, also known as Taj Monroe Tallarico.

For Teresa Barrick, Chelsea and Taj were her first and only children. Tyler, however, already had two daughters prior to his second marriage. The first was with former girlfriend Bebe Buell, whom he never married. Their daughter was Liv Tyler, who would go on to become a successful actress in Hollywood.

His second daughter was Mia Tyler, whom he had with his first wife, Cyrinda Foxe. Barrick and Tyler’s children are both in the entertainment industry and relatively successful in their trades. Chelsea Anna Tallarico is a model and singer in the US, and Taj Monroe Tallarico is a multi-instrumentalist and recording mixer in the industry.

Tyler’s Success, Marriage Woes, & Divorce

Throughout the 1990s and the 2000s, Tyler’s career and success in the industry continued rising. Aerosmith’s albums saw a resurgence in the late 1980s with Barrick’s appearance in Tyler’s life.

It was a happy coincidence that their songs achieved critical success at a time when most band members were marrying and having children of their own. Albums like Get A Grip, Nine Lives, and Just Push Play hit Gold and Platinum across the United States as well as most of Europe.

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Aerosmith’s dominance as a resurgent rock group was undeniable. On the singles charts, they were competing with new-age pop artists and boy bands at a time when most 80s rock bands had fizzled out.

Unfortunately, on the home front, all was not well with Tyler and Barrick. Their two children were growing up, and family responsibilities were increasing. Media reports suggest that Barrick and Tyler’s separation was not a sudden and spontaneous decision.

Many close friends suspect that it had been growing and building up for some time. When Tyler and Barrick announced their decision to separate in 2006, it brought an end to 17 years of marriage between the two. While a lot of people expressed shock at their choice, there were many who felt that it was inevitable.

Staying true to their private way of dealing with the press, neither of the pair specified the reason why they were separating. Some believed that it was Tyler’s excessive antics as a rockstar. While others think it was a natural fallout of irreconcilable differences.

Accusations of Infidelity

During their divorce, a lot of speculation went on about possible cheating by the rockstar. Tyler’s demi-god status as a singer and celebrity always put him in situations where he could easily be suspected. It wouldn’t be outrageous to assume that Tyler may have cheated on Teresa Barrick, given his history and penchant for beautiful young blondes.

But whether this was the reason for the separation was not mentioned by either of them. Before the divorce announcement, Steven Tyler had attended the Grammys with his children, but Barrick was nowhere to be seen. Given how she was always seen during these events, it suggested that everything was not hunky-dory in the Tyler household.

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Some sections of the media reported on news of Teresa Barrick’s supposed infidelity. These reports suggested that the marriage ended because Barrick had cheated on Tyler somewhere along the line. Other reports indicate that Barrick had undergone a mid-life crisis with Tyler’s success and isolation from home.

There were reports of how Barrick had grown unusually close with one of the contractors who was entrusted with renovating the couple’s house in the suburbs of Boston. However, neither set of accusations have proven to be true. So unless one of the former spouses reveals the exact reason behind the divorce, everything else is purely speculation.

Teresa Barrick Now

After the divorce, Teresa Barrick resigned to her personal life and stayed away from the limelight. It was characteristic of her not to try and publicize what happened between the two. It was clear from the time they got married that Barrick was one who enjoyed her privacy.

Even today, Barrick’s whereabouts are not entirely known. Most believe that she continues her clothing designing in a more low-key manner. Given her success in designing Aerosmith’s onstage ensembles, we wouldn’t be shocked if she was found directing the costumes of some other performer.

Teresa Barrick’s life with Steven Tyler began with a whirlwind romance, but it grew into a long marriage with two beautiful and successful children. Although it’s unfortunate that their union came to an end, the industry will always remember the gorgeous blonde designer who kept Steven Tyler grounded during Aerosmith’s best days.

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