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Bruno Mars

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, he 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

Bruno Mars performing in Houston, Texas in November 2010.

Before becoming a successful solo artist, Hernandez was an acknowledged music producer, writing songs for Alexandra Burke, Travie McCoy, Adam Levine, Brandy, Sean Kingston, and Flo Rida.[10][19] He also co-wrote the Sugababes' hit song "Get Sexy" and provided backing vocals on their album Sweet 7.[20][21] His first musical appearance as a singer was in Far East Movement's second studio album Animal, featured on the track "3D".[22] He was also featured on pastor and hip hop artist Jaeson Ma's debut single "Love" in August 2009.[23][24] He reached prominence as a solo artist after being featured on and co-writing B.o.B's "Nothin' on You" and Travie McCoy's "Billionaire"; both songs peaked within the top ten of many charts worldwide.[25][26][27][28] He said of them, "I think those songs weren't meant to be full-sung songs. If I'd sung all of "Nothin' on You", it might've sounded like some '90s R&B." Following this success, Mars released his debut extended play (EP), titled It's Better If You Don't Understand, on May 11, 2010.[29] The EP peaked at the 99th position on the Billboard 200 and produced one single, "The Other Side", featuring singers Cee-Lo Green and B.o.B.[30][31] Mars collaborated with Green once more in August 2010 by co-writing his single "Fuck You!". He performed a medley of "Nothin' on You" and "Airplanes" with B.o.B and Hayley Williams at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards on September 12, 2010.[32]

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

Bruno Mars performing on November 24, 2010. Mars plays several instruments including piano, guitar, bass, and congas.[46]

Mars' music has been noted for displaying a wide variety of styles and influences, including pop,[47] rock,[47] reggae,[47] R&B,[48] soul,[41] and hip hop.[49] Although Mars has been referenced as "soft" because of his penchant for using a falsetto voice, his co-producer Philip Lawrence says, "What people don't know is there's a darker underbelly to Bruno Mars." Mars himself says, "I blame that on me singing to girls back in high school."[50] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times called him "one of the most versatile and accessible singers in pop, with a light, soul-influenced voice that’s an easy fit in a range of styles, a universal donor."[3] Mars was initially influenced by R&B artists such as Keith Sweat, Jodeci and R. Kelly, as well as 1950s rock n roll and Motown.[51] In high school, he began listening to classic rock groups such as The Police, Led Zeppelin, and the Beatles.[51] All of these genres of music have influenced Mars' musical style; he observed that "It’s not easy to [create] songs with that mixture of rock and soul and hip-hop, and there’s only a handful of them."[51] Mars also stated that he is a fan of Alica Keys, Jessie J, Jack White and The Saturdays.[52]

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

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Bruno Mars

References

  1. ^ De Castro, Cynthia (January 5, 2011). "Bruno Mars: The Fil-Am Artist with Universal Appeal". Asian Journal. AJ Press Los Angeles. Retrieved January 7, 2011.
  2. ^ a b Caulfield, Keith (October 13, 2010). "Toby Keith's 'Gun' Fires at No. 1 on Billboard 200". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved October 13, 2010.
  3. ^ a b Caramanica, Jon (October 5, 2010). "Bruno Mars in Ascension". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved October 7, 2010.
  4. ^ "ACE Title Search: Hernandez Peter Gene". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
  5. ^ Jeffries, David. "Bruno Mars > Biography". allmusic. Retrieved September 26, 2010.
  6. ^ a b c d Moniz, Melissa (April 14, 2010). "Starring Bruno Mars". MidWeek. Honolulu: Black Press. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
  7. ^ Yi, David (October 12, 2010). "Bruno Mars, Far East Movement lead Asian-American pop music wave taking over the Billboard charts". Daily News. New York City. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
  8. ^ a b c Farber, Jim (October 3, 2010). "Bruno Mars follows his summer of hits with a big debut album 'Doo-Wops & Hooligans'". Daily News. New York City. Retrieved December 26, 2010.
  9. ^ Lewis, Pete. "Bruno Mars: Out of this World!". Blues & Soul. Retrieved September 22, 2010.
  10. ^ a b Lester, Paul (September 13, 2010). "New band of the day: Bruno Mars (No 865)". guardian.co.uk. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
  11. ^ "Bruno Mars and Phillip Lawrence". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. March 18, 2010. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
  12. ^ "Bruno Mars on Songwriting, Singing as a Tot, Working with Ne-Yo". Vibe. Vibe Media Group. 2010-10-04. Retrieved 2011-03-07.
  13. ^ a b "Bruno Mars gravitates toward a stellar solo career". USA Today. Gannett Company, Inc. September 15, 2010. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
  14. ^ Gentry, Colin (September 22, 2010). "4Music.com meets Bruno Mars". 4Music. Box Television. Retrieved February 4, 2011.
  15. ^ "Greetings From Bruno Mars (YouTube video)". Elektra Records.
  16. ^ Cline, Georgette. "10 Questions for Bruno Mars". Rap-Up. Devin Lazerine. Retrieved December 23, 2010.
  17. ^ a b Jones, Steve (January 25, 2011). "Bruno Mars' musical orbit seems inescapable". USA Today. Gannett Company. Retrieved February 3, 2011.
  18. ^ a b c d e "Interview with Aaron Bay-Schuck". HitQuarters. December 13, 2010. Retrieved December 14, 2010.
  19. ^ Wete, Brad (April 13, 2010). "So who is Bruno Mars? A Q&A with the guy behind B.O.B's smash hit 'Nothin' On You'". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
  20. ^ "Get Sexy". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
  21. ^ Sweet 7 (Media notes). Island Records. 2010. {{cite AV media notes}}: |format= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |albumlink= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |artist= ignored (|others= suggested) (help)
  22. ^ "Animal by Far East Movement FM". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
  23. ^ "Jaeson Ma Releases New Single Glory" (Press release). PR Newswire. November 11, 2010. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
  24. ^ "Love - Single". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
  25. ^ "B.o.B feat. Bruno Mars - Nothin' on You (song)". australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved February 3, 2011.
  26. ^ "Travie McCoy feat. Bruno Mars - Billionaire (song)". australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved February 3, 2011.
  27. ^ "Bruno Mars: Top 75 Releases". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 3, 2011.
  28. ^ Trust, Gary (December 2, 2010). "Weekly Chart Notes: P!nk, Bruno Mars, Band Perry". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved February 3, 2011.
  29. ^ "Bruno Mars Blasts Off Into the Top Ten Albums Chart on iTunes With New Digital EP; Acclaimed Singer/Songwriter/Producer Follows B.o.B's #1 Blockbuster, "Nothin' On You" With Much-Anticipated Solo Debut; Four-Song EP Features Guest Appearances From B.o.B and the Legendary Cee Lo Green; Major TV Performances Slated Throughout May; "IT'S BETTER IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND" Arrives at All Digital Retailers Today" (Press release). Marketwire. May 11, 2010. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
  30. ^ "Bruno Mars Album & Song Chart History". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
  31. ^ Rodriguez, Jayson (July 15, 2010). "Bruno Mars Shows His 'Darker' Self On 'The Other Side' Video". MTV News. MTV Networks. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
  32. ^ Dinh, James (September 13, 2010). "B.o.B, Hayley Williams Perform Rousing 'Airplanes' At VMAs". MTV News. MTV Networks. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
  33. ^ "Doo-Wops & Hooligans". Amazon.com. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
  34. ^ a b "Bruno Mars Unveils Eagerly Awaited Debut Album "DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS" Slated to Arrive October 5th; New Single "Just The Way You Are" Shaping Up as Massive Hit, With Top 3 Success on iTunes "Top Singles"; Sold-Out New York City Live Debut Set for Tonight, Followed by US Tour Alongside Maroon 5 in October" (Press release). Marketwire. August 25, 2010. Retrieved August 25, 2010.
  35. ^ "Bruno Mars Ready With New Solo Single; "Just The Way You Are" Drops July 20th, Heralding Hugely Anticipated Debut Album; Elektra Recording Artist and Acclaimed Singer/Songwriter/Producer to Join Maroon 5 and One Republic on Tour" (Press release). Marketwire. July 19, 2010. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
  36. ^ Pietroluongo, Silvio (September 22, 2010). "Bruno Mars Lands Atop Hot 100, Rihanna Roars Into Top 10". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 22, 2010.
  37. ^ "Bruno Mars - Just the Way You Are (song)". australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved February 3, 2011.
  38. ^ Wete, Brad (September 8, 2010). "Bruno Mars wows his lady with cassette tape drawings in 'Just the Way You Are' video: Watch here". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
  39. ^ "Grenade - Single". iTunes Store Australia. Apple Inc. Retrieved February 3, 2011.
  40. ^ "Bruno Mars - Grenade (song)". australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved February 3, 2011.
  41. ^ a b c Greenblatt, Leah (September 29, 2010). "Doo-Wops & Hooligans (2010)". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
  42. ^ "Bruno Mars Arrested". TMZ.com. Time Warner. September 20, 2010. Retrieved February 4, 2011.
  43. ^ "Bruno Mars -- Sniffed Out by Bathroom Attendant". TMZ.com. Time Warner. September 20, 2010. Retrieved February 4, 2011.
  44. ^ Black, Caroline (September 21, 2010}). "Bruno Mars Mug Shot: Singer Arrested in Las Vegas on Cocaine Charge". CBS News. Retrieved September 25, 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  45. ^ "Bruno Mars Escapes Cocaine Charge". MTV News UK. MTV UK. 2011-02-05. Retrieved 2011-02-05.
  46. ^ Herrera, Monica (May 6, 2010). "Bruno Mars Steps Out Solo After Hitting No. 1 with B.o.B." Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved February 4, 2011.
  47. ^ a b c Cohen, Sandy (October 4, 2010). "Music Review: Singer-songwriter-producer Bruno Mars shows range and pop flair on debut CD". The News. The Canadian Press. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
  48. ^ Mervis, Scott (October 7, 2010). "For the Record: Bruno Mars". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Block Communications. Retrieved October 16, 2010.
  49. ^ Caramanica, Jon (October 5, 2010). "Bruno Mars in Ascension". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved October 5, 2010.
  50. ^ Wood, Mikael (August 18, 2010). "Bruno Mars Is Not Soft". The Village Voice. Village Voice Media. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
  51. ^ a b c "Bruno Mars On Damian Marley Track, Hip-Hop Influences, B.o.B." Vibe. Vibe Media Group. October 4, 2010. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
  52. ^ Copsey, Robert (2011-01-20). "Bruno Mars "in awe" of Alicia Keys". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2011-02-06.
  53. ^ a b Johnson, Kevin C. (November 24, 2010). "Bruno Mars learned music biz by collaborating with big acts". STL Daily. STL Media Group. Retrieved December 23, 2010.
  54. ^ Vick, Megan (August 6, 2010). "Bruno Mars, "Just the Way You Are"". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved October 16, 2010.
  55. ^ Toor, Amar (October 5, 2010). "Bruno Mars, 'Grenade' -- New Song". AOL Radio Blog. AOL. Retrieved October 16, 2010.
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