Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), better known by his stage name Bruno Mars, is an American singer-songwriter and music producer. Raised in Honolulu, Hawaii by a family of musicians, Mars began making music at a young age. After performing in various musical venues in his hometown throughout his childhood, he decided to pursue a musical career and moved to Los Angeles after graduating from high school. Mars began producing songs for other artists, joining production team The Smeezingtons. After an unsuccessful stint with Motown Records, Mars 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 Kesha, "Wavin' Flag" by K'naan, and "Fuck You!" by Cee Lo Green. 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] He 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 different musical genres. He has worked with an assortment of artists from different genres; Mars acknowledges the influences that his collaborations have had on his own music. As a child, he was highly influenced by artists such as 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. Jon Caramanica of The New York Times referred to Mars as "one of the most versatile and accessible singers in pop."[3]
Life and career
1985–2008: Early life and beginnings
Mars was born Peter Gene Hernandez and raised in the Waikiki neighborhood of Honolulu, Hawaii, by parents Bernadette "Bernie" and Pete Hernandez, of Filipino and Puerto Rican descent.[4][5][6][7] His mother emigrated to Hawaii from the Philippines as a child and his father moved to the island from Brooklyn, New York.[8] Mars parents met while performing in a show, where his mother was a hula dancer and his father played percussion.[8] At the age of two, Mars was nicknamed "Bruno" by his father, because of his resemblance to chubby professional wrestler Bruno Sammartino.[9] Mars was one of six children and came from a musical family who exposed him to a diverse mix of reggae, rock, hip hop, and R&B.[10][11] From a young age, he was impersonating and performing songs by artists such as Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, The Isley Brothers, and The Temptations.[6] At age four, Mars began performing five days a week with his family's band, The Love Notes, in which he became known on the island for his impersonation of Presley.[12]In 1990, Mars was featured in MidWeek as "Little Elvis", going on to have a cameo in the film Honeymoon in Vegas in 1992.[6][13] He later reflected on the influence Presley had on his music, saying, "I watch the best. I'm a big fan of Elvis. I'm a big fan of 1950s Elvis when he would go on stage and scare people because he was a force and girls would go nuts! You can say the same thing for Prince or The Police. It's just guys who know that people are here to see a show, so I watch those guys and I love studying them because I'm a fan."[14] In 2010, he also acknowledged his Hawaiian roots and musical family as an influence, saying, "Growing up in Hawaii made me the man I am. I used to do a lot of shows in Hawaii with my father's band. Everybody in my family sings, everyone plays instruments. My uncle's an incredible guitar player, my dad's an incredible percussionist, my brother's a great drummer, he actually plays in our band. I've just been surrounded by it."[15] In 2003, shortly after graduating from President Theodore Roosevelt High School at the age of seventeen, Mars moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue a musical career.[6][13] He adopted his stage name from the nickname his father gave him, adding "Mars" at the end because "I felt like I didn't have [any] pizzazz, and a lot of girls say I’m out of this world, so I was like I guess I'm from Mars."[16]
Shortly after moving to Los Angeles, Mars signed to Motown Records in 2004, in a deal that "went nowhere".[17] However, Mars' experience with Motown proved to be beneficial to his career when he met songwriter and producer Philip Lawrence, who was also signed to the label. Mars, Lawrence, and engineer Ari Levine began writing songs together, and formed the production team The Smeezingtons.[17] In 2006, Lawrence introduced Mars to his future manager at Atlantic Records, Aaron Bay-Schuck.[18] After hearing him play a couple of songs on the guitar, Bay-Schuck wanted to sign him immediately, but it took about three years for Atlantic records to finally sign Mars to the label.[18] In the meantime, Bay-Schuck hired Mars and the Smeezingtons to write and produce songs for the label's artists.[18] According to Bay-Schuck in an interview with HitQuarters, Mars had stated that although his ultimate goal was to be a solo artist, he was willing to write and produce for other artists, both to help improve his songwriting and help him discover the type of artist he ultimately wanted to be.[18] Bay-Schuck credits this as a period of "self-discovery" that contributed significantly to Mars' later success.[18]
2009–present: Commercial success and Doo-Wops & Hooligans
Mars' debut album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, was released digitally on October 4, and saw its physical release on October 5, 2010.[33][34] The lead single, "Just the Way You Are", was released on July 19, 2010,[35] and has reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 as well as several other charts worldwide.[36][37] The music video was released on September 8, 2010.[38] The second single, "Grenade", was released September 28, 2010, and has also seen successful international chart performance.[39][40] In the United States, Doo-Wops & Hooligans debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 for the week of October 13, 2010, selling 55,000 copies.[2] The album also received generally positive reviews from critics. Entertainment Weekly's Leah Greenblatt praised Mars for his "instant-access melodies" and "sly snatches of dance-floor swagger", but noted weaknesses in songs deviant from his conventional pop and soul genres.[41] He opened for Maroon 5 on the fall leg of the Hands All Over Tour starting October 6, 2010 and co-headlined with McCoy on a European tour starting October 18, 2010.[34]
On September 19, 2010, Mars was arrested in Las Vegas for possession of cocaine.[42] When talking to a police officer, Mars reportedly stated that what he did was "foolish" and that "he has never used drugs before".[43][44] Mars pled guilty to felony drug possession, and in return for his plea, the charges will be erased from his criminal record as long as he pays a $2,000 fine, does 200 hours of community service and completes a drug counseling course.[45]
Musical style
In addition, Mars claims that his work with other artists influenced his musical style, saying that "'Nothing on You' had a Motown vibe, 'Billionaire' was a reggae acoustic guitar-driven song, though one of my favorites is the Cee-Lo [Green] song ['Fuck You!']. I don't think anyone else could've sung that song. And there's 'Just the Way You Are.' If you know my story, you know I love all different genres of music."[53] He cites doo-wop as a major influence on his music, referring to the genre as "just straightforward love songs — so charming and simple and romantic."[53] In addition, Mars states that growing up in Hawaii influenced his music, giving the songs a reggae sound. He explains that "In Hawaii some of the biggest radio stations are reggae. The local bands are heavily influenced by Bob Marley. That music brings people together. It's not urban music or pop music. It's just songs. That's what makes it cross over so well. The song comes first."[8] Lyrically, many of Mars' songs have been described as "feel-good", carefree, and optimistic,[54] however, darker subjects are addressed in songs such as "Grenade", "Liquor Store Blues", and "Talking to the Moon", which detail failed relationships and self-destructive behavior.[41][55]
Discography
Main article: Bruno Mars discography
- Doo-Wops & Hooligans (2010)
Awards and nominations
| Year | Nominee | Event | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | "Nothin' on You" | BET Awards[56] | Best Collaboration | Nominated |
| Video of the Year | Nominated | |||
| BET Hip Hop Awards[57] | Best Hip Hop Video | Nominated | ||
| Reese's Perfect Combo Award | Nominated | |||
| Verizon People's Champ Award | Nominated | |||
| MTV Video Music Awards[58] | Best Pop Video | Nominated | ||
| MTV2 Sucker Free Summit Awards[59] | Instant Classic | Nominated | ||
| Soul Train Music Awards[60] | Song of the Year | Won | ||
| Teen Choice Awards[61] | Best Single | Nominated | ||
| 2011 | Grammy Awards[62] | Best Rap Song | Nominated | |
| Best Rap/Sung Collaboration | Nominated | |||
| Record of the Year | Nominated | |||
| "Fuck You!" | Nominated | |||
| Song of the Year | Nominated | |||
| "Just the Way You Are" | Best Male Pop Vocal Performance | Won | ||
| The Smeezingtons | Producer of the Year, Non-Classical | Nominated | ||
| Himself | NAACP Image Awards[63] | Outstanding New Artist | Nominated | |
| Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards[64] | Favorite Male Singer | Nominated | ||
| Doo-Wops & Hooligans | Echo Awards[65] | Most Successful Newcomer of the Year, International | Nominated |
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