Bruno Mars

He worked with big artists from different genres, and Mars acknowledges that these experiences have had an impact on his own music. When he was a child, he was heavily influenced by artists like Elvis Presley and often impersonated him from a young age. He incorporates sounds inspired by reggae, funk, R&B, hip hop, rock, among others. Jon Caramanica from The New York Times refers to Mars as «one of the most versatile and accessible pop singers».​​Mars is part of the trio of composers known as The Smeezingtons, formed together with Philip Lawrence and Ari Levine. He wrote lyrics for a dozen artists such as Sugababes, Adele, Flo Rida, Cee Lo Green and Taemin, member of the group SHINee.Peter Eugene Hernández was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii.​​ His parents are Peter Hernández and Bernadette San Pedro Bayot, from Puerto Rico and the Philippines respectively.

At the age of two, he was nicknamed «Bruno» by his father, due to his resemblance to the professional wrestler Bruno Sammartino.​​ Hernández has five siblings: his brother Eric and his sisters Presley, Jaime, Tiara and Tahití. He comes from a musical family of reggae, rock, hip hop and R&B.​​ In 1990, at only four years old, Hernández started his artistic career imitating Elvis, being introduced in the newspaper The New York Times as the «Little Elvis», which classified him as the youngest imitator of the remembered artist. He even participated under this pseudonym in the movie Honeymoon in Vegas in 1992.​​​​ In 2010, he said, «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. Everyone in my family sings, everyone plays instruments. My uncle is an incredible guitarist, my father is an incredible percussionist and my brother is a great drummer. I have been surrounded by it».​​ He attended President Theodore Roosevelt High School, graduating in 2003 at the age of 17, and shortly after moved to Los Angeles to pursue a musical career.​​