42 Funky Facts About Bruno Mars
"Someone told me something that stuck with me: 'You have to envision your life, and then go backwards.' I've been living by that motto for a while, so I see where I need to be. Now I'm just backtracking and trying to get back up there."—Bruno Mars.
Turn on any pop radio station in the summertime—or any season, for that matter—and one of Bruno Mars' funky jams is bound to be one of the first songs blasting from the speakers. And why wouldn't he be? Bruno Mars is one of the biggest names in pop music today. His slick dance moves, powerful voice, and heartfelt lyrics have won over music lovers all over the world. The journey to get to the top of the pop summit, however, was not easy. From humble beginnings in Hawaii to early struggles in the Los Angeles music scene, Mars had to claw and hustle for many years before becoming a ubiquitous presence on car radios, party playlists, and music awards shows. Here are some facts about the immensely popular entertainer that definitely demonstrate his 24-karat magic appeal.
42. Childhood Nickname That Stuck
Young Peter was given the nickname Bruno by his father due to his resemblance to Bruno Sammartino—one of the biggest names in professional wrestling in the 1960s and 1970s. How a child was thought to look like Sammartino is beyond me.... During a tour stop in Pittsburgh in 2017, Mars finally met his namesake backstage and even took a photo with the wrestling legend and one of his championship belts. If I have to be honest, I still don't exactly see the resemblance...is it the smile?
41. Tribute to an Inspiration
At the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, Mars performed a tribute to recently deceased singer Amy Winehouse. He performed a touching rendition of“Valerie,” which was originally performed by The Zutons but was popularized by Winehouse’s cover version that she collaborated on with producer Mark Ronson. In a 2012 interview, Mars expressed how much Winehouse meant to his career. Commenting on the power of Winehouse’s second and last album Back to Black, Mars said, “I’ve always wanted to make music like that—that could be spread out and [not] pigeon-holed to one thing.”
40. Even Good Without the Instrumentals
One of the really interesting aspects of the 2012 film Pitch Perfect is how its soundtrack provides a snapshot of the pop music scene in the late 2000s/early 2010s. That’s why it’s no surprise that the film features two Mars affiliated songs. The main a cappella group in the movie, The Barden Bellas, perform the Mars hit “Just the Way You Are” in one of their medleys. Their rivals The Treblemakers perform the Flo Rida song “Right Round” in their regional qualifier. “Right Round” was co-written by Bruno Mars and his Smeezingtons partner Jeff Lawrence.
39. Diverse Ancestry
Mars’ parents are Peter Hernandez and Bernadette San Pedro Bayot. His father was originally from Brooklyn, New York and is of Puerto Rican and Ashkenazi Jewish descent, while his mother was born in the Philippines and moved to Hawaii with her family as a young girl.
