Bruno Mars Biography, Wiki, Nationality, Songs, Net Worth, Parents
Birth name: Peter Gene Hernandez
Nickname: Mars
Date of birth: October 8, 1985
Age: 36 years
Place of birth: Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
Profession: singer, songwriter, producer
Marital status: married
Nationality: American
Partner: Jessica Caban (2011–)
Parents: Bernadette San Pedro Bayot, Peter Hernandez
Height: 165 cm
Original hair color: black
Eye color: Brown
Zodiac Sign: Libra
Net Worth: $180 Million
Monthly Income And Salary: $1 Million +
Social Links:
Bruno Mars IMDB
Bruno Mars Facebook
Bruno Mars Instagram
Bruno Mars Twitter
Bruno Mars Website
Bruno Mars Youtube
1985-2003: EARLY YEARS; ROOTS
Peter Gene Hernandez was born on October 8, 1985 in Honolulu, Hawaii to Peter Hernandez and Bernadette San Pedro Bayot (2013†). He grew up not far from his hometown, in a neighborhood in Waikiki. His father is of half Puerto Rican, half Ashkenazi Jewish descent (presumably they came to America from Ukraine or Hungary), originally from Brooklyn.
His mother emigrated from the Philippines to Hawaii when he was still a child, and he had both Filipino and Spanish ancestry. Bruno’s parents met at a show, where his mother acted as a hula dancer, while his father played percussion instruments. Two-year-old Peter’s father started calling him Bruno, because he thought he discovered a similarity between his son and Bruno Sammartino (professional boxer). Bruno has 4 sisters named Presley Hernandez, Tiara Hernandez, Tahiti Hernandez, Jamie Hernandez and a brother; Eric Hernandez, who also plays drums in Bruno’s band.
Since he grew up in a musical family, it is not surprising that he was exposed to many musical styles at an early age, such as: reggae, rock, hip hop, R&B. His mother was not only a dancer, but also a singer, and his father also worked with Little Richard. His uncle earned his living as an Elvis impersonator and encouraged the barely three-year-old Peter to go on stage as well.
Bruno did it anyway, performing songs by artists such as: Michael Jackson, The Isley Brothers, The Temptations. At the age of 4, he became a regular member of the family band, The Love Notesvolt. Bruno performed in front of the audience 5 times out of 7 days and around this time became famous in the area as a young Elvis impersonator. In 1990, he was referred to as “Little Elvis” in a MidWeek magazine article, and later appeared in a cameo role in the film Honeymoon in Vegas in 1992, as well as performing at halftime of the Aloha Bowl.
His time as Presley had a profound effect on him as a musician and performer. He later learned to play the guitar under the influence of Jimi Hendrix. In 2010, he acknowledged his Hawaiian roots and musical family: “Growing up in Hawaii made me the person I am today.” I did a lot of shows there with my dad’s band. Everyone in my family sings everyone plays an instrument… I was surrounded by this from the very beginning.”
While a student at President Theodore Roosevelt High School, he also performed with a band called The School Boys. After Bruno’s sister played one of her brother’s demos for Mike Lynn (the A&R at Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment) in Los Angeles, Lynn invited Bruno to Los Angeles around 2003, when Bruno had just graduated high school. Bruno needed no more, at the age of 17 he moved to California to fulfill his dreams of becoming a famous singer.
That’s when he changed his last name to Mars, about which he previously said: “At that time, I got from a lot of girls that I didn’t belong in this world, and I replied that maybe I came from Mars.” But there were several reasons for the name change, as the entertainment industry wanted to pigeonhole him into the role of another Latin performer, and they even wanted to convince him to sing in Spanish instead of English.
2004–2010: PRODUCTION WORKS
Shortly after moving to Los Angeles, he signed with Motown Records in 2004, although this deal did not prove successful. However, he owes his fame to the time he spent there with Philip Lawrence, who also worked as a lyricist and producer for the label.
After parting ways with his then label, he remained in LA where he worked alongside Steve Lindsey and Cameron Strang on music publications at Westside Independent in 2005.
” I’ve always worked as a musician in Hawaii and never had any problems with rent… After I came to LA they even turned off my phone. That’s when reality hits me. I started as a DJ. It was stupid of me, because I only said yes to the job because they promised $75 locally. I didn’t understand the profession, so I didn’t have the job for long.”
Lindsey showed Bruno and Jedd Bhasker (whom Bruno met through Mike Lynn) the ins and outs of written pop music and began mentoring them to help them improve. Bruno covered several songs with Bhasker and his brother Eric Hernandez.
When Lawrence was first offered to meet Bruno, he was reluctant to the idea, because at that time he didn’t even have enough money for a bus ticket. Keith Harris, drummer for The Black Eyed Peas, told him: Whatever you spend to get Bruno here, I’ll reimburse you. To this, Lawrence replied: Just give me $5 for the bus ticket.
After that, Lawrence and Mars started working together, they started writing songs for Bruno, but they got rejections one after another from the publishers. They were on the verge of giving up when they received a call from Brandon Creed, who was looking for songs for the reunited Menudo band. Creed liked Marsék’s song Lost. The duo didn’t want to part with the song, but after being offered $20,000 for it, they changed their stance and struck a deal anyway. With the sale of the song, they had the opportunity to continue their joint work and decided that from now on they would acquire and write songs for other artists. Creed then managed Bruno for 9 years.
In 2006, Lawrence introduced Bruno to A&R manager at Atlantic Records, Aaron Bay-Schuck. After hearing Bruno play the guitar, he immediately wanted to sign him, but he had to wait 3 years for this, as several people believed that it was too early to take him on and that Bruno still needed to develop as an artist.
BILLIONAIRE & FIRST EP RELEASE
Before becoming a successful solo artist, Bruno was already an established music producer, writing songs for artists such as Alexandra Burke, Travie McCoy, Adam Levine, Brandy, Sean Kingston and Flo Rida. He also co-wrote one of the Sugababes’ hits, Get Sexy, and provided background vocals for their Sweet 7 album.
His first recorded work as a singer was on Far East Movement’s second studio album (Animal) in the form of the song 3D. He also contributed to hip-hop artist Jason Ma’s debut single Love in August 2009. The first significant attention was brought to him by BoB’s hit song Nothin’ on You, which he composed with his group under the name of The Smeezingtons. This was followed by Travie McCoy’s blockbuster Billionairesong Both songs topped the charts, reaching number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, as well as on the UK singles chart.
Bruno said this about the songs: I think these songs were not meant to be sing-along songs. If I had sung all of Nothin’ on You myself, the song would have had a 90s R&B sound.
Following the success, Bruno finally released his debut EP, It’s Better If You Don’t Understand, which was released on May 11, 2010. The EP reached the 99th position on the Billboard 200 list and a music video was made for the song The Other Side. The song also features CeeLo Green and BoB. Bruno collaborated with Green under the name of The Smeezingtons on the smash hit “Fuck You/ Forget You”.
2010-2012: DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS
After serving as a guest vocalist for BoB and Travie McCoy, the song Just the Way You Are was released on July 19, 2010. It was also the lead single from his debut studio album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans. After its release, it enjoyed great popularity, topping the Billboard Hot 100 charts in Canada and the United Kingdom, but also on several charts worldwide. The song also resulted in breaking a record as it dominated the charts for the longest time with its 20 weeks as a debut song. Two more promotional singles were also released, titled Liquor Store Blues and Grenade.
In the former, he collaborated with Bob Marley’s son, Damian Marley. Grenade later became the album’s second single on October 5, 2010. The composition reached number one on the Hot 100 list, also in Canada and the United Kingdom, but also performed well on other international charts.
The album finally debuted on October 5, 2010, immediately at number three on the Billboard 200, selling 55,000 copies. It bagged number one in Canada, as well as in Switzerland and the UK, as well as around the world. Doo-Wops & Hooligans received generally positive reviews from music critics and has sold over 6 million copies to date. In February 2011, The Lazy Song gal returned as her 3rd single.
Her fourth single release was Talking to the Moon in Brazil, where it also served as the theme song for a telenovela, Irrational Heart. The song reached number one on the Billboard Brasil Hot Pop Songs and Hot 100 Airplay, dominating both charts for weeks. The song Marry You was the comeback of the next single, it was released on August 22, 2011. Although the song was not released as a single in America, it still reached number 85 on the Hot 100 chart on January 15, 2011. It also excelled in digital sales with 2.2 million copies (2015 data), conquering several charts worldwide. Bruno’s 6th single work in Australia arrived in November, which this time was Count On Me and was included in the charts of several regions.
Bruno later composed a song with the Smeezingtons, which also became the first single of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, It Will Rain. It was released on iTunes on September 27, 2011, and on the Billboard Got 100 list Bruno took the 3rd place, and in New Zealand the second place. During this period, he took part in several contributions, such as in the Bad Meets Evil Lighters hit, Lil Wayne’s song Mirror, as well as Wiz Khalifa and Snoop Dogg’s song Young, Wild & Free in October 2011. Unsurprisingly, the song became a hit, performing well on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, as well as reaching top positions on twenty other charts.
He started promoting Bruno’s debut album, supporting Maroon 5 and One Republic (Hands All Over Tour). Later, on October 18, 2010, he headlined Travis McCoy’s European tour with his colleague. The series of events lasted until November. The promotion of the album was facilitated by the singer’s first concert tour, The Doo-Wops & Hooligans Tour , which entertained the big name from November 2010 to January 2012. Most of the shows were held in smaller venues, such as in theaters or ballrooms, but he still gained a lot of fans with the tours.
At the 2011 Grammy Awards, Bruno managed to bag his first Grammy statuette in the Best Male Pop Vocal Artist category with the song Just the Way You Are, and also received six additional nominations: Best Rap Song, Best Rap/Vocal Contribution, Record of the Year for Nothin’ on You, Song of the Year (Fuck You), Producer of the Year, Non-classical as The Smeezingtons.
At the following year’s Grammy Awards, Mars lost all six of his nominations, including: Album of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album (Doo-Wops & Hooligans), Record of the Year, Best Pop Solo Performance (Grenade), Producer of the Year, Non -Classical like The Smeezingtons. During this time, he also won the American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist, the International Male Solo Artist Award, the Brit Awards and the Echo Award for Best International Male.
2012-2014: UNORTHODOX JUKEBOX
On March 22, 2012, it was also reported that Mars had signed a deal with the commercial company BMG Chrysalis US. In September 2012, he gave an interview to Billboard, where he said that his upcoming album will incorporate more styles. “I want the freedom and luxury of being able to walk into the studio and say, ‘Today I want to record a hip-hop, R&B, soul or rock record.'”
He also revealed that the disc was titled Unorthodox Jukebox and contained 10 songs. The first single from it is Locked out of Heaven, which was released on the first of October. The lead single reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in Canada, while it was able to occupy the number two position on the charts in the United Kingdom. It entered the top 10 in a total of 15 countries.
The album was mainly composed by The Smeezingtons and was actually released on December 11, 2012. It immediately landed at number two on the Billboard 200 with sales of 192,000. After its release, Bruno and his team managed to reach the first position on the same list 3 months after it was released. It also became number one in Canada, became the best-selling solo album in Sweden and the United Kingdom, and has since sold more than 6 million copies worldwide.
The second single was When I Was Your Man on January 15, 2013. Befitting Bruno, the single was a great success, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100, almost surpassing the record of Elvis Presley, who had five number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 list. Compared to Bruno, Elvis achieved all this in a shorter time. The song reached number 2 in the UK charts and entered the top 10 in several countries.
The next single was released in the form of his song Treasure. In the United States, it started in 4th place, although it was less successful compared to the previous two. On May 24, 2013, Major Lazer released his remix of Bubble Butt as the fourth single from the album Free the Universe, featuring Tyga, 2 Chainz, Mystic and Mars. Later, the Gorilla and Young Girls songs became the fourth and fifth singles of the disc and managed to enter the Hot 100 top 35.
THE MOONSHINE JUNGLE TOUR AND SUPER BOWL XLVIII
Meanwhile, Mars went on the road with The Moonshine Jungle Tour, giving concerts from June 2013 to October 2014. The tour grossed 156.4 million. On September 8, 2013, it was revealed that Bruno would be one of the halftime performers of Super Bowl XLVIII, which was scheduled for February 2, 2014.
Red Hot Chili Peppers were the special guest of the show. The half-time proved so successful that it became the most-watched half-time of all, attracting almost 115.3 million viewers. The halftime show was more watched than the game itself. During halftime, Bruno not only danced and sang, but also flashed his drum skills in front of the public. Although the record was broken by Katy Perry the following year.
Bruno later entertained the headliner at the 2015 Rock in Rio festival on May 16
At the 2014 Grammy Awards, Mars managed to bag another statuette in the Best Pop Vocal Album category. He was nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year with his song Locked Out of Heaven, while his song When I Was Your Man was also nominated for Best Pop Solo Performance. Later that year, the album won the Juno Award for International Album of the Year. Aside from his music career, Mars took on the role of Roberto in the animated film Rio 2. The work was released in cinemas on March 20, 2014, and he also contributed to the accompanying theme song (c. Welcome Back).
THE EMERGENCE OF UPTOWN FUNK
In October 2014, Mark Ronson confirmed that he was preparing to return with a new song on November 10 of that year. The song will be available under the title Uptown Funk and Bruno Mars also participated in the production of the new song. The collaboration was even more popular than expected, hitting the top of the charts in several countries, e.g. also in the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The accompanying clip has become one of the most viewed videos on YouTube, with more than 3 billion views today.
In December 2013, Bruno was named Billboard‘s Vocal Artist of the Year, while also becoming the 12th highest paid singer of 2013 with a net worth of $18,839,681. The following year, he became number one on Forbes ‘ 30 Under 30 list, and The World’s Most Powerful Celebrities list brought him 13th place with his 60 million.
2015-2018: 24K MAGIC
After completing his world tour, he began working on his third album, which was later titled 24K Magic. All he wrote on his Facebook page was: “Now it’s time for Chapter 3”. For a long time, Mars did not announce an official date when the new disc will be released. He later explained this by saying that he didn’t want to finish it too quickly and that he wanted this work to be better than his previous two albums. In March 2015, the musician shared more information about his upcoming material. He told the Shanghai magazine that Mark Ronson and Jeff Bhasker are involved in the work as producers, he wants to develop himself as a songwriter and showman and plans to change in the field of music videos. Not long after, they formed All I Ask with The Smeezingtonssong that appeared on Adele’s album. This composition brought the singer another Grammy statue.
Bruno Mars Scandal
On September 19, 2010, Bruno was arrested in Los Angeles for possession of cocaine. While they were taking him to the police station, he admitted that he had done something stupid and that he had not used mind-altering drugs before. Bruno considered himself guilty of the case. They agreed with him that if he stays out of trouble by the end of the year, his name will be removed from the criminal record. Bruno was later released on parole in exchange for $2,000, 200 hours of community service, and also had to attend an anti-drug course.
In 2013, he told GQ magazine about the affair: ” I was young, man! The kib… I was in Vegas! I wasn’t thinking… ” He went on to say: ” I hit the top of the charts and did stupid things. ” And then he confessed, that he wasn’t entirely honest about not having used cocaine before. ” I don’t know where it came from. I was very intoxicated, I was drunk. I managed to tarnish my reputation with this case, I try to forget it every day and push myself further. ”
Bruno Mars Filmography & Movies
Video clips
2010 – The Other Side (featuring Cee Lo Green and BoB)
2010 – Just the Way You Are
2010 – Grenade
2011 – Liquor Store Blues (featuring Damian Marley)
2011 – The Lazy Song
2011 – It Will Rain
2012 – Locked Out of Heaven
2013 – When I Was Your Man
2013 – Treasure
2013 – Gorilla
2014 – Uptown Funk
2016 – 24K Magic
Bruno Mars Discography
Doo-Wops & Hooligans
1. “Grenade”
2. “Just the Way You Are”
3. “Our First Time”
4. “Runaway Baby”
5. “The Lazy Song”
6. “Marry You”
7. “Talking to the Moon”
8. “Liquor Store Blues” (featuring Damian Marley)
9. “Count On Me”
10. “The Other Side” (featuring Cee Lo Green and BoB)
Unorthodox Jukebox
1. “Young Girls”
2. “Locked Out of Heaven”
3. “Gorilla”
4. “Treasure”
5. “Moonshine”
6. “When I Was Your Man”
7. “Natalie”
8. “Show Me”
9. “Money Makes Her Smile”
10. “If I Knew”
24K Magic
1. “24K Magic”
2. “Chunky”
3. “Permian”
4. “That’s What I Like”
5. “Versace on the Floor”
6. “Straight Up & Down”
7. “Calling All My Lovelies”
8. “Finesse”
9. “Too Good to Say Goodbye”
FAQs Frequently Asked Questions
1. How did Bruno Mars get his money?
Ans: Bruno has likely earned M-I-L-L-I-O-N-S just by uploading content
2. Why is Bruno Mars in Silk Sonic?
Ans: Silk Sonic album in 2020 as a way to keep busy during the early days of the pandemic.
3. What happened to Bruno Mars now?
Ans: he is part of a band named Silk Sonic
4. Who is the richest singer in the world?
Ans: Kanye West
5. Who is the richest man in the world?
Ans: Bill Gates