You Oughta Know : Bruno Mars

Bruno Mars was a music fan since he was just Peter Hernandez Jr., a kid growing up in Hawaii. Enamored by a wide array of sounds, spanning reggae, R+B, folk, and 1950s-era rock and roll, he was impersonating and performing songs by influential artists like Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley from a young age. Once he graduated from high school, Mars headed to L.A. where he teamed up with Philip Lawrence and Ari Levine to form one of the most in-demand production/songwriting teams in modern music, The Smeezingtons. Together they co-penned a string of platinum hits including Flo Rida's "Right Round" and K'naan's "Wavin' Flag" before Mars decided to lend his signature smooth vocals to their productions, serving as featured guest on B.o.B's Billboard smash "Nothin'... More»

Bruno Mars was a music fan since he was just Peter Hernandez Jr., a kid growing up in Hawaii. Enamored by a wide array of sounds, spanning reggae, R+B, folk, and 1950s-era rock and roll, he was impersonating and performing songs by influential artists like Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley from a young age. Once he graduated from high school, Mars headed to L.A. where he teamed up with Philip Lawrence and Ari Levine to form one of the most in-demand production/songwriting teams in modern music, The Smeezingtons. Together they co-penned a string of platinum hits including Flo Rida's "Right Round" and K'naan's "Wavin' Flag" before Mars decided to lend his signature smooth vocals to their productions, serving as featured guest on B.o.B's Billboard smash "Nothin' On You" and Travie McCoy's "Billionaire." Both songs successfully propelled him and his two pals to stardom and introduced himself to the world as a solo recording artist. The next logical step in this rising triple threat's career was a debut album. Called "Doo-Wops & Hooligans," Mars' solo effort hits shelves in October 2010 with the lead single "Just the Way You Are" poised to be another Hot 100 hit. Find out why other male R&B crooners have nothin' on him. «Less