Singer/songwriter/producer Bruno Mars first put his name on top of the charts in 2010 by collaborating with rapper B.o.B for the single “Nothin’ on You.” Mars first break came in LA when he met songwriter Phillip Lawrence. The two would dub themselves the Smeezingtons and co-write “Long Distance,” which would be recorded in 2008 by R&B singer Brandy. The gigs came in fast after that, and in 2009, when Mars and Lawrence co-wrote “Right Round” for rapper Flo Rida, they had their first number one hit . A year later, Mars would co-write and sing on B.o.B’s number one hit,“Nothin’ on You,” and would do the same for Travie McCoy with his cut, “Billionaire.” Also in 2010, he released his debut solo EP, It’s Better If You Don’t Understand. Later in the year, he released a full-length album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans. The first single from the album, “Just the Way You Are,” topped the Billboard Singles chart the week before the album’s release. The album reached No. 3 on Billboard’s album charts, and its follow-up singles, “Grenade” and “The Lazy Song” also cracked the top 10 on the singles chart. He also scored another hit with “It Will Rain.” Mars also received several Grammy Award nominations for his debut effort, including Album of the Year. In 2012, Bruno released Unorthodox Jukebox. Bruno Mars continues to tour like a mad man. He’s one of the greats – and he just got started.
