Peter Gene Hernández (born October 8, 1985), 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 and 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". His second studio album, Unorthodox Jukebox, was released on December 11, 2012.
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 Jacksonand 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 2012 BRIT Awards.[5] Bruno Mars has sold 6 million albums and 40 million singles worldwide.[6]
