Bruno Mars is not just a great singer, but also a talented songwriter. The Hawaiian-born Mars is the voice behind some of the greatest hits of the moment, such as Travie McCoy’s ‘Billionarire’ or B.o.B’s ‘Nothing On You’. Still, his ‘Just The Way You Are’ and ‘Grenade’ reached the top of the charts.

In just a few months, Bruno Mars, whose real name is Peter Gene Hernandez, managed to score triple-platinum sales, landed seven Grammy nominations and won the award for best male pop vocal performance. Speaking about this period, he told GQ that, “The last few months. It’s been a rocket…to Mars!”

Last year, Bruno Mars was busted for cocaine possession at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Vegas. Speaking about this episode, he told GQ he’s not a role model. “I’m not gonna preach that I’m a role model,” he says. “I’m a – musician! But I’ve learned people are watching, so don’t do nothing stupid.” “My jump shot sucks,” he added.

In September, Mars was arrested after being detained by hotel security on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Dept. said the singer was carrying 2.6 grams of cocaine. After pleading guilty to cocaine possession, the judge gave Mars probation, a $2,000 fine, 200 hours of community service at a nonprofit organization and eight hours with a drug counselor in Los Angeles.

Bruno Mars impersonated Elvis Presley from a young age and at age 4 he used to perform five days a week with his family’s band, ‘The Love Notes’. Now, Bruno admits he is a big fan of Elvis. “I watch the best. I’m a big fan of Elvis. I’m a big fan of 1950s Elvis when he would go on stage and scare people because he was a force and girls would go nuts! You can say the same thing for Prince or The Police. It’s just guys who know that people are here to see a show, so I watch those guys and I love studying them because I’m a fan.”

His music combines a wide variety of styles and influences, including pop, rock, reggae, R&B, soul, and hip hop.

Photo courtesy of GQ