Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), better known by his stage
name Bruno Mars, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer.
Raised in Honolulu, Hawaii by a family of musicians, Mars began making
music at a young age. He performed in various musical venues in his
hometown throughout his childhood. He graduated from high school and
then moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue a musical career. Mars
produced songs for other artists, joining production team The
Smeezingtons.
Mars had an unsuccessful stint with Motown Records, but then signed with
Atlantic Records in 2009. He became recognized as a solo artist after
lending his vocals and co-writing the hooks for the songs "Nothin' on
You" by B.o.B, and "Billionaire" by Travie McCoy. He also co-wrote the
hits "Right Round" by Flo Rida featuring Ke$ha, and "Wavin' Flag" by
K'naan. In October 2010, he released his debut album, Doo-Wops &
Hooligans. Anchored by the worldwide number-one singles "Just the Way
You Are" and "Grenade", the album peaked at number three on the
Billboard 200.[2] Mars was nominated for seven Grammys at the 53rd
Grammy Awards, winning Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Just the Way
You Are".
Mars' music is noted for displaying a wide variety of styles and
influences, and contains elements of many musical genres. He has worked
with an assortment of artists from various genres. As a child, he was
highly influenced by artists such as Little Richard,[3] Elvis Presley
and Michael Jackson and would often impersonate these artists from a
young age. Mars also incorporates reggae and Motown inspired sounds into
his work. Worldwide, Mars became the best-selling digital artist in
2011. He had three singles in the top ten, including first place with
"Just The Way You Are," which sold 12.5 million copies.[4] Mars won Best
International Male Solo Artist at the BRIT Awards in 2012.[5] Bruno
Mars has sold 6 million albums and 40 million singles worldwide, with a
total of 46 copies.[6] He is also the only artist to have two digital
singles which has sold more than 10 million copies, with 'Just the Way
You Are' and 'Grenade'.
