Mars, Bruno (1985-…), is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and producer. He became one of the leading popular music performers of the early 2000’s. Mars has won a number of Grammy Awards for his music.
Mars was born on Oct. 8, 1985, in Honolulu, into a family of musical performers. His real name is Peter Gene Hernandez. His father gave him the nickname “Bruno” as a child, because he thought he resembled the Italian-born professional wrestler Bruno Sammartino. At the age of 4, Hernandez began performing in a local variety show with his family, impersonating the American singer Elvis Presley. After graduating from high school, Hernandez moved to Los Angeles, where he helped form the Smeezingtons, a songwriting and music production team. The Smeezingtons produced hit songs for such performers as Alicia Keys, Brandy, Flo Rida, Lil Wayne, Cee Lo Green, Travie McCoy, and K’Naan.
Hernandez later adopted the stage name Bruno Mars. He explained that he chose “Mars” because some of his fans have said he is “out of this world.” His debut album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, was released in 2010 and became a hit. It featured the hit songs “Just the Way You Are” and “Grenade.” Mars also wrote the song “It Will Rain” for the soundtrack of the popular motion picture The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn—Part 1 (2011). His second album, Unorthodox Jukebox (2012), featured the hits “When I Was Your Man” and “Locked Out of Heaven.” Mars was also featured on the hit “Uptown Funk” (2014) by the British music producer Mark Ronson. Mars’s third album, 24K Magic, was released in 2016. It included the hits “24K Magic” and “That’s What I Like.”
In 2021, Mars and the American rap artist and singer Anderson .Paak formed the rhythm-and-blues (R&B) duo Silk Sonic. In 2022, the duo won Grammy Awards for record of the year, song of the year, and best R&B song for their debut single “Leave the Door Open” (2021). The song also tied with “Pick Up Your Feelings,” by Jazmine Sullivan, for best R&B performance.
