My Life as a
Studio Wife

A Lifetime of Love and Music
with Bruce Swedien

Featuring Michael Jackson
and Quincy Jones

Foreword by Quincy Jones

“This book gives an insight into one of the most irrepressible, high-spirited people I know.”
– Quincy Jones

“Don’t ever bring your wife to the studio!” they said—advice Bruce Swedien, five-time Grammy-winner and legendary engineer behind Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Jennifer Lopez, and more, cheerfully ignored. His wife, Bea, became a beloved presence in the control room for decades. Part music memoir, part love story, My Life as a Studio Wife shares Bea’s unforgettable journey—from a childhood in the jungles of India to the glittering red carpets of the Grammy Awards.

Her life with Bruce was a dazzling blend of music, world travel, horses, Great Danes, big boats, family and friends. Their sixty-eight year marriage was an inspiration to many.

Packed with insider stories, adventure, laughter, and heart, the book also includes Bea’s recipes for Swedish meatballs and sugar cookies that stopped recording sessions in their tracks.

Quincy said, “So good they make you wanna hurt yourself!”

Excerpt from My Life as a Studio Wife:

Before we left for Japan for the start of the second leg of the Bad Tour in early 1988, Bruce and I joined Michael Jackson and all the musicians and dancers for rehearsals at an indoor arena in Pensacola, Florida. The sound truck was driven from Los Angeles. It was the same crew that had worked with us on Lena Horne’s Broadway show. During one of the rehearsals in this large, empty basketball arena, I found a folding chair and placed it in the center of the basketball court. It was incredible to be the only member of the audience. When the rehearsal was over I yelled and applauded. Michael yelled back, “That’s gotta be Bea!”