BRUNO MARS: Featured Artist

Bruno Mars - Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, and choreographer. Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, by a family of musicians, Mars began making music at a young age and performed in various musical venues in his hometown throughout his childhood. He graduated from high school and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a musical career. After being dropped by Motown Records, Mars signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records in 2009.

In 2009, he co-founded the production team The Smeezingtons, responsible for the singles "Nothin' on You" by B.o.B and "Billionaire" by Travie McCoy. He featured on the hooks for both singles, becoming recognized as a solo artist. His debut studio album Doo-Wops & Hooligans (2010) included the international and U.S Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping singles "Just the Way You Are" and "Grenade", as well as the number-four single "The Lazy Song". Mars' second album, Unorthodox Jukebox (2012), peaked at number one in the United States. The album spawned the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping singles "Locked Out of Heaven" and "When I Was Your Man", as well as the number-five single "Treasure". In 2014, Mars lent his vocals to Mark Ronson's "Uptown Funk", a single which topped many charts worldwide, including the US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and UK. His third studio album, 24K Magic (2016), yielded the successful singles "24K Magic" and "That's What I Like". To date, he has sold over 130 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time. Mars has landed seven number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 since his career launched in 2010, attaining his first five faster than any male artist since Elvis Presley.

Mars has received many awards and nominations, including five Grammy Awards, three Brit Awards, three Guinness World Record, and was named one of Time's 100 most influential people in the world in 2011. In December 2013, he ranked number one on the Forbes 30 under 30 list. Mars is known for his stage performances and retro showmanship. He is accompanied by his band, The Hooligans, who play a variety of instruments such as electric guitar, bass, piano, keyboards, drums and horns, and also serve as backup singers and dancers. Mars performs in a wide range of musical styles.

Biography from Wikipedia