Bruno Mars played drums in his family’s band as a child. Growing up in Honolulu, he was surrounded by performers: his father was a percussionist, his mother was a singer, and several relatives were musicians.
Mars began performing with the family act, known as the Love Notes, at a very young age. He became especially famous in Hawaii for impersonating Elvis Presley, joining the stage show when he was about four years old. The family performed regularly in Waikīkī venues, including the Sheraton Waikiki.
Drums were only one part of Mars’s early musical education. He also taught himself to play piano, guitar, and percussion instruments, and later became an accomplished multi-instrumentalist who could perform on keyboards, bass, guitar, and drums. His childhood stage experience helped develop the energetic showmanship that became central to his career.
A common mix-up is assuming that Mars was only a singer as a child. His family’s revue combined singing, dancing, impersonation, and instrumental performance, giving him practical musical experience long before he became a recording artist.