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Monday 11 January 2016

Singer Bruno Mars' mother Bernadette Hernandez, 55, 'dies of brain aneurysm'

Bruno Mars' mother Bernadette Hernandez is said to have died of a brain aneurysm.

The mother-of-six, 55, died on Saturday, a publicist for the singer's label Atlantic Records told Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.

Mrs Hernandez's death came after it was initially reported she had suffered a suspected heart attack in Hawaii on Friday and was being treated at the Queens Medical Center in Honolulu.


Devastating: Singer Bruno Mars flew into Los Angeles LAX airport on Friday - the same day his mother was said to have been hospitalised

The Philippines-born matriarch is survived by her Grammy-winning son, his brother Eric and their four sisters Presley, Tahiti, Tiara and Jamie.

She was divorced from Bruno's father Peter Hernandez, who was of Puerto Rican and Jewish descent.
All of the singer's siblings' usually active Twitter accounts have been noticeably quiet since Friday.

Bruno and his brother Eric, who is the drummer in his band, were spotted in Los Angeles on Friday after flying in from Berlin.



Close knit: Bernadette (centre) with her daughters Presley, Tahiti, Tiara and Jamie

Bernadette's condition was first reported by Star magazine, who said the 55-year-old was rushed to the hospital near her home in Honolulu and was in critical condition.

'Bernadette is in hospital and the grandkids are all here, I’m looking after them,' family friend Anita Sojot told the magazine.
'The family is on it’s way here right now and we are going to discuss what to do next.'



Support: Bruno in a family photo at Christmas 2012 with his brother Eric and three of his four sisters

The 28-year-old singer opened up about his childhood in the April issue of Rolling Stone, talking about his family's penchant for music and dressing as Elvis as a toddler.

'I wouldn't trade it for anything,' Bruno told the magazine of singing in a family band. 'Because I feel like I can enjoy this so much.'

When he was four he recorded a tune he penned titled I Love You Mom, an 80s style synth ballad in which he repeats the title and calls her 'my favourite girl'.

'My mommy helps me with my voice / cuz a superstar singer is my first choice,' he rhymes.


Close family: Bruno (bottom left) grew up as one of six children to mother Bernadette (centre)
The youngster, born Peter Gene Hernandez, also talks about chores and obeying his parents.

'My parents help me out cuz I know they love me / I just wish they buy me more toys and candy. 

'I always brush my teeth cuz my mommy said / I do it in the morning and right before bed.'

Bruno, who is set to launch his Moonshine Jungle Tour in June, also has her name tattooed on his shoulder.





Bruno Mars wraps up a year's worth of realty deals with home sale





The 1964 home has a striking facade

Grammy winner Bruno Mars has sold his Hollywood Regency-style contemporary along the border of Studio City and Hollywood Hills West for $3,347,500 (NZ$5,037,243) in an off-market deal.

Fronting a 10-vehicle motor court, the 1964 home has an imposing facade with stone columns flanking 11-foot-tall frosted glass entry doors.

The walled and gated house features a single-story open floor plan. Retractable walls of glass bring in expansive cityscape and mountain views.



Bruno Mars has sold his Hollywood home.
The home contains living and family rooms, three bedrooms, three full bathrooms and a powder room in 4,074 square feet of living space. The master bathroom features radiant heat flooring, a sauna, a two-person steam shower and a massage and gym area, according to details from 2012, when Mars bought the property for $3.254 million.
There's a swimming pool at the back of the house and a three-car garage.
Earlier this year, Mars bought an estate in Studio City for $6.5 million. The 9,033-square-foot Mediterranean-style house, built in 2000, sits on two acres with a covered lounge, an infinity swimming pool with a spa and a children's play area.

He also sold his place in Hawaii.

The singer-songwriter, 30, is working on his third album. He has released two studio albums, Doo-Wops & Hooligans (2010) and Unorthodox Jukebox (2012). The latter won a Grammy Award for best pop vocal album. He was Billboard's artist of the year in 2014.

Mars performed with the Red Hot Chili Peppers during the Super Bowl halftime show in 2014

Bruno Mars Biography

                                            Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars is an American singer-songwriter known for such hit songs as "Nothin' on You," "Just the Way You Are" and "Locked Out of Heaven."
“Everything's good right now. It's really paying off because now my songs are on the radio. It took me a while to finally get it, but when I got it, I think I got it right. And I'm very proud of how my songs are representing me as an artist.”
—Bruno Mars

Bruno Mars - Mini Biography (TV-14; 2:48) After several years as one of the pop music's premier songwriters, Bruno Mars broke out as a singer in his own right with the 2010 hit "Nothin' on You" and has since become a pop music icon.
Synopsis
Singer-songwriter Bruno Mars was born on October 8, 1985, in Honolulu, Hawaii. By the early 2000s, he had begun to find success by writing songs for popular artists, including K'Naan's "Wavin' Flag," the theme song for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. After several years as one of pop music's premier songwriters, Mars broke out as a singer in his own right with the 2010 hit "Nothin' on You." Other popular songs by Mars include "Just the Way You Are" (2010) and "Locked Out of Heaven" (2012).
Early Life
Born Peter Gene Hernandez on October 8, 1985, in Honolulu, Hawaii, popular singer-songwriter Bruno Mars grew up in a very musical family. His father, Pete, was a Latin percussionist from Brooklyn, and his mother, Bernadette ("Bernie"), was a singer. Mars received his nickname, "Bruno," while he was still a baby. "The name Bruno came from baby times," older sister Jamie explained. "Bruno was always so confident, independent, really strong-willed and kind of a brute—hence the name Bruno—and it kind of just stuck."

In Waikiki Beach, Mars's family performed a Las Vegas-style revue that included Motown hits, doo-wop melodies and celebrity impersonations. Growing up around entertainers, Mars began picking up musical instruments from early childhood. "I've always had a drum set, a piano, a guitar ... and never got trained to play. It was just always there," he later recalled. "That's just how I learned, just being surrounded by it my whole life." At the age of 4, he joined the family musical act as an Elvis impersonator and quickly become one of the stars of the show. He continued to perform with his family throughout his childhood, and as he approached adolescence he added Michael Jackson to his impersonation repertoire.
Move to Los Angeles
Mars attended Roosevelt High School, where he and several friends formed a band, the School Boys, performing classic oldies hits alongside his family's act at the Ilikai Hotel in Honolulu. Mars credits his fearless stage presence to his unusual childhood. "Performing from such a young age just got me so comfortable on stage," he said. "Growing up performing—that was normal for me. Everyone in my family sings, plays instruments. It's what we do."

After graduating from high school, Mars decided to leave Hawaii for Los Angeles, California. Over his first few years in L.A., he struggled to make a breakthrough in the music industry. And especially because he had performed so frequently while growing up in Honolulu, Mars grew frustrated with waiting for his career to move forward. It was during this period that Mars first turned to songwriting. "I only started writing songs when I moved up to L.A. because when I was in Hawaii, I never really needed to," he recalled. "But it stemmed from just learning that you have to do everything by yourself. It's not like what you see in movies, where you walk into a record company and you're given all these great songs to sing. You have to write the song the world is going to want to hear and play it over and over again. I learned that the hard way here in L.A."

Career Breakthrough
A friend introduced Mars to songwriter Phillip Lawrence, who agreed to help Mars compose material. They presented a song they had written and recorded to a record label, who liked it but wanted one of their own artists to perform it. Mars recalled, "We were so broke and struggling, we had to do what we had to do, so we ended up selling the song." Initially, Mars was disappointed, but it proved to be an awakening experience. "The light bulb went off," he explained. "I decided to push the artist thing aside and get into the business this way. We can write songs and produce songs, so we just really focused our energy into writing for other artists. That's how it all began."

By the early 2000s, Mars had begun to find success by writing songs for several popular artists, including Flo Rida's smash hit "Right 'Round," Brandy's "Long Distance" and Travie McCoy's "Billionaire." Mars also produced and co-wrote K'Naan's "Wavin' Flag," the theme song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

After several years as one of the pop music industry's premier songwriters, Mars finally broke out as a singer in his own right with the 2010 hit "Nothin' on You." The song was written for the Atlantic Records rapper B.o.B., but the record label decided to enlist Mars himself to croon the heartfelt chorus. The track proved an enormous hit, skyrocketing to No. 1 on the Billboard singles chart, and instantly transforming Bruno Mars from a behind-the-scenes composer into a pop performer.
'Doo-Wops & Hooligans'

Several months later, Mars released his first solo single, "Just the Way You Are," from his debut studio album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, released in October 2010. The song quickly proved to be another hit for the artist, putting him back at the top of the Billboard singles chart. Additionally, Doo-Wops & Hooligans reached No. 3 on the Billboard album charts, and its follow-up singles, "Grenade" and "The Lazy Song," cracked the Top 10 on the singles chart. Mars scored another hit with "It Will Rain," a song that he contributed toThe Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 soundtrack in late 2011.

Mars went on to pick up several 2012 Grammy Award nods for his debut effort, including for album of the year. While he went home empty-handed that year, Mars gave a career-building performance at the 2012 Grammy Awards. His energetic performance of his 1960s-influenced song "Runaway Baby" (2010) had even the most jaded music industry veterans moving in their seats. Mars showed himself to be a high-energy live performer, and he even did an homage to the late James Brown in his act.
Continued Success: 'Unorthodox Jukebox'

In December 2012, Mars released his second studio album, Unorthodox Jukebox, featuring yet another gamut of hit songs, and quickly meeting with both commercial and critical acclaim. The album's lead single, "Locked Out of Heaven," topped the Billboard Hot 100 for six consecutive weeks, won an MTV Award for Best Music Video, and landed in the Top 10 in 20 countries. The project's second release, "When I Was Your Man," reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the song "Treasure" won an MTV Award for Best Choreography in 2013. In 2014 Mars also won a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album.
The Super Bowl and Beyond

Mars continued to thrive in his career. In September 2013, news broke that he was selected to be a part of the half-time entertainment at the next Super Bowl. This honor put him in the same league as such past performers Madonna and Justin Timberlake.

With his formula of combining catchy pop melodies, hip-hop beats and feel-good lyrics, Bruno Mars has emerged as a popular artist. And after a lifetime of striving to reach the top of the music industry, Mars is now trying to enjoy the moment. "Everything's good right now," the singer-songwriter recently stated. "It's really paying off because now my songs are on the radio. It took me a while to finally get it, but when I got it, I think I got it right. And I'm very proud of how my songs are representing me as an artist."

Interesting Facts About Bruno Mars

Bruno Mars’ real name is Peter Gene Bayot Hernandez.
He was was born on October 8th 1985 in Wakiki, Hawaii.

Source: Pixabay
Mars said in a GQ interview that his father nicknamed him after professional wrestler, Bruno Sammartino.

Source: Wikipedia
He has also said that he bore a resemblance to the wrestler when he was chubby as a child.
Growing up, his nickname was “Little Elvis” and did shows around the island.

Source: YouTube Screenshot
He was interviewed by Pauly Shore for his Elvis impersonation and it was already clear what a star he was going to be.

Bruno Mars is of Puerto Rican and Filipino descent.
He comes from a musical family. His mother is a hula dancer and his father is a percussionist.
At age 4, Bruno joined his family’s band “The Love Notes” and performed with them 5 days a week.

He also comes from a large family and is one of six children. He has a brother Eric, and four sisters: Jamie, Presley, Tahiti, and Tiara.
His sisters have their own musical group, The Lylas, and will star in their own reality television show about the recording of their debut album.

Source: Tumblr
Mars left Hawaii for Los Angeles with dreams of launching his career as a performer. after he graduated from high school. Those dreams got put on hold, however, when The Smeezingtons, the songwriting/production team he founded with Philip Lawrence and Ari Levine, suddenly took off. The trio began crafting major hits for a diverse roster of talent, including Flo Rida's "Right Round", Travie McCoy's "Billionaire", and K'Naan's "Wavin' Flag", which was the theme song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

He has written hit singles for B.O.B., Flo Rida, Cee Lo Green, and Travie McCoy.
Since his career began, Mars introduced his all-male band, The Hooligans, a band that includes guitarist, bassist, drummer, keyboardist, and horn players. They serve also as dancers and background singers.

Source: Tumblr
It took 3 years for his manager to convince Atlantic Records to sign him.
Not only is he a talented singer, but he also plays the drums, keyboard, bass, and guitar.

Source: Tumblr
Source: Tumblr
One of Mars sillier songs, “The Lazy Song” has over 450 million views on Youtube and is one of the most viewed Mars music videos.

While performing, he only requests two items for when he’s back stage: wet wipes and a bottle of wine.

He loves his tattoos. He currently has 4: His mother name (Bernadette) over a heart, the words "Pete's Boy" in homage to his father, a ship's anchor on his right forearm and an image of a gypsy on his left forearm for good luck.

Source: Tumblr
His mother died of a brain aneurysm in Hawaii in June 2013.

Source: Tumblr
Mars said he was heavily influenced by Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Amy Winehouse, Alicia Keys, R.Kelly and James Brown.

Source: Tumblr
He co-wrote Cee Lo Green‘s popular song, “F*** You" which was promoted as "Forget You."
Mars and singer Adele are the only artists to ever have a number-one song that only featured piano and vocals.
He has been nominated for 14 Grammy Awards.
Mars won a Grammy Award in the category of Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Just the Way You Are" at the 53rd Grammy Awards.
He has also won awards such as Song of the Year and Best International Artist among others.

Bruno was arrested for cocaine possession in Las Vegas in September of 2010. He was carrying 2.6 grams and pleaded guilty but the charge has since been wiped from his record after completing some community service.

Source: Mugshot
His favorite color is maroon.
Bruno Mars said his favorite food is Chicken Adobo, which is the national dish of the Philippines.

Source: Wikipedia
He was named Billboard's Artist of the Year and has been nominated for four Grammys in 2014.

Source: Tumblr
Bruno Mars is performing at the half-time show at the Super Bowl in 2014.
Source: Super Bowl

20 Things You Didn’t Know About Bruno Mars

(Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

1. His real name is Peter Gene Bayot Hernandez.

2. Bruno’ s height does not affect his luck with the ladies, standing a whopping 5’5!

3. He was born in Waikiki, Hawaii!

4. Not only is he a talented singer, but he also plays the drums, keyboard, bass, and guitar.

5. Bruno is an amazing singer/songwriter and has written hit singles for B.O.B., Flo Rida, Cee Lo Green, and Travie McCoy!

6. His stage name, “Bruno Mars”, was inspired by the chubby wrestler Bruno Samartino, because Bruno was a chubby kid. And the Mars came along because he needed some pizzazz to add to his name and girls used to say he was “out of this world,” therefore the Mars.

7. Bruno Mars is of Puerto Rican and Filipino descent!

8. As a child his nickname was, “Little Elvis”!

9. Early in his music career, Mars began producing songs for other artists with his production team, The Smeezingtons.

10. Bruno Mars is 24 years old and was born on October 08, 1985! He’s an 80’s baby!

11. Growing up, Mars said he was heavily influenced by Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley!

12. His parents met at a show, where his Mom was a hula dancer and his dad a percussionist!

13. Bruno was nominated for seven Grammy Awards this year, and he won Best Pop Male Vocal performance for his hit single, “Just The Way You Are”!

14. At 4, he began performing 5 days a week with his family’s band, “The Love Notes.”

15. According to a recent interview, Bruno Mars said his favorite food is Chicken Adobo, which is the national dish of the Philippines!

16. His hit single, “Grenade” was his 3rd single to hit number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts!

17. Bruno came from a large family and was one of six children!

18. Bruno was arrested for cocaine possession in Vegas in September of 2010.

19. Bruno likes ink! He has tattoos of a gypsy on his left forearm, an anchor on his right forearm, his mother’s name on his right shoulder, and “Pete’s boy” on his left bicep.

20. His favorite color is maroon and his favorite song in his collection is “Count on Me.”