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Bruno Mars at the Prudential Center by Unknown Author –

Top 11 Amazing Facts about Bruno Mars

‘Today I don’t feel like doing anything…’ Probably the greatest lazy day song of all time is one of Bruno’s greatest hits. Whether you are a casual listener or a die-hard lover, you have heard a Bruno Mars song.

His official name is Peter Gene Hernandez but identifies professionally as Bruno Mars. Mars is an accomplished American entertainer in the sense that he sings, dances, and plays an array of instruments.

He can perform in various musical styles such as pop, R&B, funk, soul, reggae, disco, and rock. This allows him to reach a bigger audience which has helped him grow his brand to great levels.

Below are some amazing facts about the life and career of Bruno Mars.

1. Born and Raised in Hawaii

On October 8th 1985, Peter Gene Hernandez was born to Peter Hernandez and Bernadette San Pedro Bayot. Mars was raised by his parents in Honolulu in the infamous Waikiki neighborhood.

His mother was a Hula dancer in Hawaii and was of Filipino and Spanish descent. His father, on the other hand, was a percussion player and of Puerto Rican and Jewish descent. Talk about a mixture of cultures!!

With his father being a percussion player and his mother a dancer, it’s easy to see why Mars is a Jack of all trades. He is one of six children by the couple, having four sisters and a brother.

2. Started Performing at Age 3

Mars’ uncle was an Elvis Presley impersonator and he encouraged 3-year-old Bruno to start performing Presley and Michael Jackson songs. At Age 4, Mars was a member of his family’s band, The Love Notes.

They performed 5 days a week and Bruno was gaining fame as a Presley impersonator. Are you asking yourself what you were doing at age 4?

Mars was talented but like any child, stage fright was bound to catch up. At age 5, he urinated on himself during a performance of Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love”.

He did not quit and continued performing with The Love Notes until he was 12. This was when his parents divorced marking the end of the family band. He moved out with his father and brother afterward.

3. Moved to LA In 2003 To Pursue a Music Career

Bruno Mars at Warehouse Live by Brothers Le –

Shortly after completing and graduating from High School, 17-year-old Hernandez moved to Los Angeles in 2003. His intention at the time was to pursue a music career and LA presented the proverbial greener pastures compared to Hawaii.

In 2004, shortly after relocating to Los Angeles, Mars agreed to a record deal with Motown Records. After a year with Motown, the agreement was dissolved since it did not work out.

4. The name ‘Bruno’ Was A Nickname by His Father

At 2years of age, Gene Hernandez was nicknamed Bruno by his father. This was mostly due to his resemblance with Bruno Sammartino the Italian professional wrestler. This name would stick with him and he would adopt it when his musical career began.

The name Mars on the other hand was all his idea. Bruno claimed that he added the name ‘Mars’ to add pizzazz to his identity which he thought he lacked. He also claimed that many girls told him he was ‘out of this world’. I’d say it’s cringy and a bit on the nose but it worked!

Bruno Mars said that adopting an entirely different stage name helped him avoid getting stereotyped. According to him, the music industry tried to pigeonhole him as another Latino artist even trying to convince him to sing in Spanish.

5. Wrote Songs for Some Big Artists Before His Breakout

Life in LA was not all smooth for Bruno. After getting dropped by Motown after merely a year, he struggled to get another deal. However, with time he began to grow his name as a music producer and writer.

Before he broke out as an artist, Bruno wrote songs for artists such as Brandy, Sean Kingston, Flo Rida, Brandy, Adam Levine, and Alexandra Burke. He is also credited as a co-writer in Sugababe’s â€œGet Sexy (2009). 

6. His Breakout Was a Feature on B.o.B’s Album

B.o.B and Bruno Mars’ Nothing on you cover by an Unknown Author –

In 2009, Bruno Mars’ career finally took off and did so in spectacular fashion. B.o.B released his critically acclaimed album: B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray in 2009. (A favorite of mine if you must know!) The album was received well charting at #1 on billboards after its release.

There are many certified hits on the album. One, arguably the best, was Nothing on You featuring our very own Bruno Mars. It charted at #1 on US Billboard Hot 100 and went 3x platinum in the United States (RIAA).

To many, this was their introduction to Bruno Mars, and impressed they were. Looking back, it is safe to say he did not let anyone down and lived up to his potential. He soon followed up with another impressive appearance on McCoy’s “Billionaire” (2010). Again, charting the top in many music charts around the globe.

7. Arrested In 2010 For Cocaine Possession

Suspect arrest by 4711018 from

From his everlasting smile to his apparent boyish charm, one would not believe Mars would commit a crime. However, in September 2010 he was caught on the wrong side of the law.

While in Las Vegas, Mars was arrested for cocaine possession. 2.6 grams of a “white powdery material” thought to be cocaine were discovered on Mars. He was taken into custody at about 2:00 a.m. and then freed at about 7:45 a.m. after being transferred to a local prison facility on Sunday.

He has since managed to stay out of trouble, however. A testament that even our idols are just human and slip up once in a while. Also, his mug shots found their way to the internet and somehow, he still looked good.

8. One of The Best-Selling Artists of All Time

Bruno Mars has a reputation that he has built over the years. Whenever he puts out a project, his fans are guaranteed its great quality. This has enabled him to make great sales even in this bootlegging and streaming era.

In 2010, he released his debut studio album which sold 15.5 million copies worldwide. The album had hits such as Grenade, The Lazy Song, and Just the Way You Are. In 2012 he released Unorthodox Jukebox which became the third-fastest-selling album of the year with over 6 million copies.

Bruno has not one but two of the most successful digital singles of all time according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). Just the Way You Are and Grenade have sold over 12.5 million and 10.2 million, respectively.

On Spotify, He ranks as the number 19 artist in the world with over 50 million monthly listeners. He has hit great heights on YouTube as well gaining over 4.7 billion streams for his megahit Uptown Funk and over 1.5 billion for 24K Magic.

9. 15 Time Grammy Award Winner

Bruno Mars by Brothers Le –

In the music industry, the Grammy is the most sought-after award. Many legendary artists have ended their careers with the award having eluded them time and time again. However, Bruno has managed to bag the award 15 times!!

Bruno Mars has also set four Guinness World Records with two of them being active as of November 2022. One of the active ones is he was the First Male Artist to Achieve three 10-million-selling-singles. The other is he is the Most followed male chart-topper on Musical.ly.

He has also received 13 Soul Train Music Awards, 11 American Music Awards, and four Brit Awards. He was the second artist to win Record and Song of the Year at the 2018 Grammys with two songs from the same album.

10. Accused of Copyright Infringement Severally

Demetrius Orlandus Proctor filed a lawsuit against MacCoy and Mars on January 28, 2014. He asserted ownership of the copyright to the song “Billionaire.”

McCoy and Mars were charged with “willful and malicious” copyright infringement by Proctor. He wanted every copy of the recording to be destroyed.

Ronson and Mars’ song “Uptown Funk” has been the target of numerous copyright infringement claims and litigation. The Gap Band and Serbian singer Viktorija are among those making these assertions.

11. Joined with Anderson.Paak To Form Silk Sonic

Silk Sonic members: Bruno Mars and Anderson.Paak by Unknown Authors –

In 2021, Bruno Mars announced that he and Anderson.Paak would be joining to form a duo called Silk Sonic. The pair went on to release an album titled An Evening with Silk Sonic. It was more of an homage to 70’s R&B and soul.

Much like everything Mars does it was a great success. One of the leading singles was Leave the Door Open which received four Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year.