Bruno Mars

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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. Mars began producing songs for other artists, joining production team The Smeezingtons.

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 singles "Just the Way You Are" and "Grenade", the album peaked at number three on the Billboard 200.[2] He has been nominated for seven Grammys at the 53rd Grammy Awards, which will be held on February 13, 2011.

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 Pete and Bernadette "Bernie" Hernandez, of Puerto Rican and Filipino descent.[3][4][5][6] His mother emigrated to Hawaii from the Philippines as a child and his father moved to the island from Brooklyn, New York.[7] The two met when performing in a show where his mother was a hula dancer and his father played percussion.[7] At the age of two, Mars was nicknamed 'Bruno' by his father, because he was a chubby baby and because there was a famous chubby wrestler at the time called Bruno Sammartino.[8] 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.[9][10] From a young age, he was impersonating and performing songs by artists such as Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, The Isley Brothers, and The Temptations.[5]

In 1990, Mars was featured in MidWeek as "Little Elvis", going on to have a cameo in the film Honeymoon in Vegas in 1992.[5][11] He later reflected on the influence Elvis 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."[12] 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."[13] 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.[5][11] 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 no pizzazz, and a lot of girls say I’m out of this world, so I was like I guess I’m from Mars."[14]

In 2006, Mars was introduced to his future manager at Atlantic Records, Aaron Bay-Schuck, by his new songwriting partner Philip Lawrence.[15] 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.[15] In the meantime, Bay-Schuck used Mars - along with Philip Lawrence and Ari Levine - as a hired songwriter and producer for the label's artists.[15] 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.[15] Bay-Schuck credits this as a period of "self-discovery" that contributed significantly to Mars' later success.[15]

2009–present: Commercial success and Doo-Wops & Hooligans

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.[9][16] He also co-wrote the Sugababes' hit song "Get Sexy" and provided backing vocals on their album Sweet 7.[17][18] His first musical appearance as a singer was in Far East Movement's second studio album Animal, featured on the track "3D".[19] He was also featured on pastor and hip hop artist Jaeson Ma's debut single "Love" in August 2009.[20][21] 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. 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.[22] The EP peaked at the ninety-ninth position on the Billboard 200 and produced one single: "The Other Side", featuring rappers Cee Lo Green and B.o.B.[23][24] Mars collaborated with Cee Lo 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.[25]

Mars' debut album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, was released digitally on October 4, and saw its physical release on October 5, 2010.[26][27] The lead single, "Just the Way You Are", was released on July 19, 2010,[28] and has reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100.[29] The music video was released on September 8, 2010.[30] Two songs from the album, "Liquor Store Blues" featuring Damian Marley and "Grenade" were released to the iTunes Store as promotional singles.[31] He opened for Maroon 5 on the fall leg of the Hands All Over Tour starting October 6, 2010. Mars will co-headline with Travie McCoy on a European tour starting October 18, 2010.[27]

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.[32] 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.[33]

On September 19, 2010, Mars was arrested in Las Vegas for possession of cocaine.[34] When talking to a police officer, Mars reportedly stated that what he did was "foolish" and that "he has never used drugs before".[35][36] The court date, postponed for the second time until February 4, 2011, could see Mars face up to four years in prison and a $50,000 fine for possession of an alleged 2.6g of the drug.[37][38]

Musical style

Although Mars has been referenced as "soft" because of his light falsetto voice, his co-producer 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."[39] 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."[40] Mars cites Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Prince, and Tupac Shakur as his influences.[1]

Mars also 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 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."[41] 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."[41] 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."[7]

Discography

Main article: Bruno Mars discography

Awards and nominations

Year Nominee Event Award Result
2010 "Nothin' on You" BET Awards[42] Best Collaboration Nominated
Video of the Year Nominated
BET Hip Hop Awards[43] Best Hip Hop Video Nominated
Reese's Perfect Combo Award Nominated
Verizon People's Champ Award Nominated
MTV Video Music Awards[44] Best Pop Video Nominated
MTV2 Sucker Free Summit Awards[45] Instant Classic Nominated
Soul Train Music Awards[46] Song of the Year Won
Teen Choice Awards[47] Best Single Nominated
2011 Grammy Awards[48] Best Rap Song Pending
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration Pending
Record of the Year Pending
"Fuck You!" Pending
Song of the Year Pending
"Just the Way You Are" Best Male Pop Vocal Performance Pending
The Smeezingtons Producer of the Year, Non-Classical Pending

References

  1. ^ a b Fekadu, Mesfin (October 7, 2010). "Huge success for rising singer-producer Bruno Mars overshadowed by felony cocaine charge". The Canadian Press. Retrieved October 7, 2010.[dead link]
  2. ^ Caulfield, Keith (October 13, 2010). "Toby Keith's 'Gun' Fires at No. 1 on Billboard 200". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved October 13, 2010.
  3. ^ "ACE Title Search: Hernandez Peter Gene". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved 2010-09-15.
  4. ^ Jeffries, David. "Bruno Mars > Biography". allmusic. Retrieved September 26, 2010.
  5. ^ a b c d Moniz, Melissa (April 14, 2010). "Starring Bruno Mars". MidWeek. Black Press. Retrieved 2010-09-15.
  6. ^ Yi, David (2010-10-12). "Bruno Mars, Far East Movement lead Asian-American pop music wave taking over the Billboard charts". NY Daily News. Retrieved 2010-12-20.
  7. ^ a b c Farber, Jim (2010-10-03). "Bruno Mars follows his summer of hits with a big debut album 'Doo-Wops & Hooligans'". NY Daily News. Retrieved 2010-12-26.
  8. ^ Lewis, Pete. "Bruno Mars: Out of this World!". Blues & Soul. Retrieved 2010-09-22.
  9. ^ a b Lester, Paul (September 13, 2010). "New band of the day: Bruno Mars (No 865)". guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 2010-09-15.
  10. ^ "Bruno Mars and Phillip Lawrence". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. March 18, 2010. Retrieved 2010-09-15.
  11. ^ a b "Bruno Mars gravitates toward a stellar solo career". USA Today. Gannett Company, Inc. September 15, 2010. Retrieved 2010-09-15.
  12. ^ 4Music.com meets Bruno Mars
  13. ^ "Greetings from Bruno Mars (youtube video)". Elektra Records.
  14. ^ Cline, Georgette. "10 Questions for Bruno Mars". Rap-Up. Retrieved 2010-12-23.
  15. ^ a b c d e "Interview with Aaron Bay-Schuck". HitQuarters. 13 Dec 2010. Retrieved 14 Dec 2010.
  16. ^ 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 2010-09-15.
  17. ^ "Get Sexy". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved 2010-09-15.
  18. ^ 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)
  19. ^ "Animal by Far East Movement FM". iTunes Store. Retrieved 2010-09-15.
  20. ^ "Jaeson Ma Releases New Single Glory" (Press release). PR Newswire. November 11, 2010. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
  21. ^ "Love - Single". iTunes Store. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
  22. ^ "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 2010-09-15.
  23. ^ "Bruno Mars Album & Song Chart History". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. Retrieved 2010-09-15.
  24. ^ Rodriguez, Jayson (July 15, 2010). "Bruno Mars Shows His 'Darker' Self On 'The Other Side' Video". MTV News. Retrieved 2010-09-15.
  25. ^ Dinh, James (September 13, 2010). "B.o.B, Hayley Williams Perform Rousing 'Airplanes' At VMAs". MTV. Retrieved 2010-09-15.
  26. ^ "Doo-Wops & Hooligans". Amazon.com. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
  27. ^ 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.
  28. ^ "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.
  29. ^ Pietroluongo, Silvio (September 22, 2010). "Bruno Mars Lands Atop Hot 100, Rihanna Roars Into Top 10". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved September 22, 2010.
  30. ^ 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 2010-09-15.
  31. ^ "Bruno Mars Soars to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart With Debut Single "Just The Way You Are"; Single Lands the Top Position on UK Midweek Chart; Elektra Artist Slated for October 9th Performance on Saturday Night Live; Dates Already Sold Out on First-Ever U.S. Headline Tour; "DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS," Arrives October 5th" (Press release). Marketwire. September 22, 2010. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  32. ^ Caulfield, Keith (October 13, 2010). "Toby Keith's 'Gun' Fires at No. 1 on Billboard 200". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved October 13, 2010.
  33. ^ Greenblatt, Leah (September 29, 2010). "Doo-Wops & Hooligans (2010)". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
  34. ^ "Bruno Mars Arrested". September 20, 2010.
  35. ^ "Bruno Mars -- Sniffed Out by Bathroom Attendant". September 20, 2010.
  36. ^ Black, Caroline (2010-09-21). "Bruno Mars Mug Shot: Singer Arrested in Las Vegas on Cocaine Charge". CBS News. Retrieved 2010-09-25.
  37. ^ "Bruno Mars' cocaine court date postponed". USA Today. 2010-12-14. Retrieved 2010-12-21.
  38. ^ James, Danny (2010-11-18). "Bruno Mars' Court Date Postponed". AOL Music. Retrieved 2010-12-21.
  39. ^ Wood, Mikael (August 18, 2010). "Bruno Mars Is Not Soft". The Village Voice. Village Voice Media. Retrieved 2010-09-15.
  40. ^ Caramanica, Jon (October 5, 2010). "Bruno Mars in Ascension". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved October 7, 2010.
  41. ^ a b Johnson, Kevin C. (November 24, 2010). "Bruno Mars learned music biz by collaborating with big acts". STL Daily. STL Media Group. Retrieved 2010-12-23.
  42. ^ Chery, Carl (May 18, 2010). "Drake, Jay-Z and Nicki Minaj Lead Pack of BET Awards Nominees". Black Entertainment Television. Retrieved November 28, 2010.
  43. ^ "2010 BET Hip Hop Awards Complete Winners List". MTV News. MTV Networks. October 12, 2010. Retrieved November 28, 2010.
  44. ^ "2010 MTV Video Music Awards Nominees: Best Pop Video". MTV. Retrieved November 28, 2010.
  45. ^ "Hip Hop Readies MTV2 Sucker Free Summit!: Fans dish awards". MTV Base. MTV Networks. July 18, 2010. Retrieved November 28, 2010.
  46. ^ Fowler, Brandi. "Usher and Alicia Keys Take Top Honors at Soul Train Awards". E! Online. E!. Retrieved November 29, 2010.
  47. ^ Talarico, Brittany (June 28, 2010). "Teen Choice Awards 2010: 'Twilight' Leads with 9 Noms; 'Glee' & Bieber Trail Close Behind". OK!. Retrieved November 28, 2010.
  48. ^ "Final Nominations List: 53rd Grammy Awards" (PDF). National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. 2010. Retrieved December 2, 2010.

External links


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