Bruno Mars
| Bruno Mars} | |
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| Origin | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Labels |
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| Website | brunomars.com |
| Members | |
| Current members | |
| Past members | |
Bruno Mars (born Peter Gene Hernandez; October 8, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and musician. Known for his retro showmanship, flamboyant stage presence, and genre-spanning musical style, Mars is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with over 130 million records sold worldwide.
Early Life
[edit]Bruno Mars was born on October 8, 1985, in Honolulu, Hawaii, to a family deeply rooted in music and performance. His father, Pete Hernandez, is a percussionist of Puerto Rican and Ashkenazi Jewish descent from Brooklyn, New York, while his mother, Bernadette "Bernie" San Pedro Bayot, was a singer and dancer from the Philippines.
Mars grew up surrounded by music, performing alongside his family's band as a child. He earned the nickname "Bruno" as a toddler due to his resemblance to the professional wrestler Bruno Sammartino. As a child, he performed as an Elvis Presley impersonator at a Honolulu club owned by his family.
After graduating from President Theodore Roosevelt High School in 2003, Mars moved to Los Angeles to pursue a music career.
Career
[edit]Early Career and Songwriting (2004–2009)
[edit]After moving to Los Angeles, Mars signed with Motown Records but was dropped before releasing any material. He then began working as a songwriter and producer, co-writing hits for other artists. As a member of the production trio The Smeezingtons, he co-wrote songs for artists such as Adam Levine, Brandy, and Flo Rida. He gained wider attention for co-writing and featuring on B.o.B's "Nothin' on You" and Travie McCoy's "Billionaire" in 2010.
Breakthrough (2010–2012)
[edit]Mars signed with Atlantic Records and released his debut extended play (EP), It's Better If You Don't Understand, in 2010. His debut studio album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, was released in October 2010 and produced three major hits:
The album reached number three on the [[Bil