Bruno Mars is the epitome of what a true entertainer should be. Born in an artistic family on the exotic island of Hawaii, Mars, whose real name is Peter Hernandez, is a talented jack-of-all-trades kind of singer, whose showmanship celebrates the height of the old 1970s and 1980s R&B. Up to this writing, the Silk Sonic crooner is a proud recipient of 15 Grammy Award wins thanks to his various albums and collaborations throughout the years, and he's not showing any sign of slowing down.
However, there are still a lot of untold stories from Bruno Mars' pre-fame life that many casual fans may have never heard. From his Hawaii upbringing, how he got his stage name from, and when he DJ-ed for 75 bucks in Los Angeles, here's a look into Bruno Mars' life before fame and what the future may have in store for the superstar.
8 When Bruno Mars Was An Elvis Impersonator
Before he was Bruno Mars, young Peter Hernandez began his show business at the age of two when he became the world's youngest Elvis impersonator. Inspired by his uncle who was also an Elvis impersonator, he slowly made his way to local stardom for performing with his family band called The Love Notes, specializing in doo-wop and musics from the '50s. He told Rolling Stones in a 2013 cover story, "I would look forward to getting out of school. Just looking at the clock, waiting for it to hit 2:15."
7 Bruno Mars' Cameo In Honeymoon In Vegas
During that period of time, Bruno Mars, aged six, had a cameo role in Sarah Jessica Parker's Honeymoon in Vegas as a tiny Elvis. In the same year, Pauly Shore of MTV also interviewed the young star. His brother, Eric, was also a talented musician, and he left his 10-year career as a police officer to carry on the family's musical tradition.
6 Bruno Mars Was A Celebrity Impersonation In High School
While in high school, Bruno Mars' popularity skyrocketed to the point where he would perform gigs as Michael Jackson and other artists' impersonations, making $75 for each show. A natural heartbreaker, he was also popular with the ladies and even dated his back-up singer when he was 16.
"After that, I walked around the halls like I was (Frank) Sinatra," he told Rolling Stone about his rendition of Ginuwine’s “Pony” in that show where teachers yelled at him for singing along the word "horny." He added, "I was like, ‘OK. I’m not just an impersonator. I can also impersonate Ginuwine!'"
5 Bruno Mars' First Attempt At A Record Deal
Fresh off the boat after graduating from high school, 17-year-old Bruno Mars relocated to Los Angeles, California, to take his singing career seriously. Mike Lynn, who was the head of A&R at Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment at the moment, told him to come after Mars' sister gave him his demo tape. He adopted the stage name Bruno Mars to further avoid being stereotyped as a Latino singer. Shortly after, he signed to Motown Records, but the deal went sour, and he eventually got dropped from the label not a year after.
"I might have cried. I might have shed some tears, he recalled, adding, "You definitely have those nights where you feel a little insecure, but I didn't want to give up."
4 Bruno Mars Co-Wrote Hit Songs For Other Artists
During his short period at Motown, however, Bruno Mars met fellow songwriter Phillip Lawrence, and the two had become inseparable. Lawrence was also signed to Motown at the time, but after learning about Mars' condition with the label, he helped him to get signed again.
They eventually formed a songwriting and producing collective called The Smeezingtons and are responsible for some of the most iconic hits of the late 2000s and early 2010s, including B.o.B's "Nothin' on You," CeeLo Green's "F You," Flo Rida's Kesha-featuring "Right Round," and more. Their latest co-writing piece was Adele's "All I Ask" from her Grammy-winning third album 25.
3 Burno Mars Released His Debut EP In 2010
Following his songwriting success, especially with the peak of B.o.B's "Nothin' On You" and Travie McCoy's "Billionaire," Bruno Mars slowly blueprinted his entrance to the music world as a solo artist. He released his debut EP, It's Better If You Don't Understand, in May 2010. It consists four tracks: "Somewhere in Brooklyn," "The Other Side," "Count On Me," and the classic 2010s minimalistic ballad "Talking to the Moon."
2 Bruno Mars' Debut Album, 'Doo-Wops & Hooligans,' Was Initially A Failure
A few months after that, Bruno Mars' debut album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, was released. Supported by singles like "Just the Way You Are," "Grenade," and "The Lazy Song," Doo-Wops & Hooligans was a critical success, but it commercially flopped with only 55,000 copies sold within the first week. However, after months of performing and promoting, the album became a classic sleeper hit of 2010s pop and as of this writing, it had sold over 15.5 million copies worldwide.
1 What's Next For Bruno Mars?
What's next for the superstar? As he reached another career peak with Anderson .Paak and their Silk Sonic super-duo, Bruno Mars is up to bring back the oldies to the world. He's currently hosting a residency concert series at the Park MGM in Las Vegas.