Born as Peter Hernandez on October 8, 1985 in Honolulu, this songwriter turned solo artist chose Bruno Mars as his stage name in reference to the wrestler, Bruno Sammartino, and then added "Mars" for spunk.c Of Puerto Rican and Filipino descent, he left his native of Hawaii after high school for Los Angeles, and embarked on a career in the music industry.c

Bruno Mars is credited for co-writing and singing parts of the hit song, "Nothing On You", as performed by rapper, B.o.B.c Becoming a solo artist in October of 2010, he released his first album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, with the single, "Just The Way You Are". The song became an instant international hit.c

• May 11, 2010: It's Better If You Don't Understand (Extended Play)
  
• October 5, 2010: Doo-Wops & Hooligans
  

As part of a family of musicians, Bruno Mars started performing at the a very young age and did impersonations of stars like Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson.c Moving to California when he was seventeen years old, he met songwriter Philip Lawrence, and together they formed a production team called The Smeezingtons. The two co-wrote string of hits for artists like Flo Rida, Brandy and Travie McCoy.c

Other than writing songs, Bruno Mars provided background vocals for some of the artists he has worked with and made his debut as a recording artist with the Far East Movement hit song "3D". He also sang with Christian artist, Jaeson Ma, when the latter released his first single, Love. But it was Bruno Mars' vocals on B.o.B's "Nothing On You" where the songwriter gained recognition as a singer. This was followed by another vocal and rap collaboration with Travie McCoy and the song, "Billionaire."c Both songs are certified international hits, earning top spots in chart rankings in many countries.c c

In May of 2010, Bruno Mars released an extended play album entitled, It's Better If You Don't Understand which landed at the 99th spot on Billboard's Top 200.c Two months later, he released the single "Just The Way You Are" in United States. By the time Bruno Mars' debut album was launched in October 2010, "Just The Way You Are" was already a hit in the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Denmark and other countries. c

Bruno Mars has a distinct falsetto voice and musical style that has been compared to Ne-Yo and Michael Jackson.c