Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985 in Waikiki, Hawaii), better known by his stage name Bruno Mars, is a Filipino-Puerto Rican American singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist signed to Atlantic Records. He is most well known for his hit Just The Way You Are, which went #1 in 9 countries in 2010. He is also known for singing/co-writing the hooks for the #1 hit Nothin’ On You by B.o.B, and Billionaire by Travie McCoy; he also co-wrote the international hits Right Round by Flo Rida and Wavin’ Flag by K’naan.
After the success of the songs he featured on, Mars released his debut EP, It’s Better If You Don’t Understand, in May 2010.
He then released his debut album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, on October 5th, which features special guest appearances from B.o.B, Cee-Lo Green, and Damian Marley. The lead single, Just the Way You Are, was released on July 19, 2010. The second single off the album, Grenade, was released on September 2010 as a promotional single but was eventually shifted to official second single. The It Will Rain Songfacts reports that in 2011 he recorded “It Will Rain,” the lead single from the soundtrack to the movie The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1. It was released exclusively on iTunes September 27, 2011.
Bruno Mars was born and raised in the Waikiki neighborhood of Honolulu, Hawaii by parents Pete and Bernadette “Bernie” Hernandez, of Puerto Rican and Filipino descent.
