Fans were amazed by a four-year-old Bruno Mars delivering an adorable Elvis impersonation— complete with a full costume! The young performer confidently took the stage in Hawaii, dressed in a sharp white suit, and sang a medley of Elvis Presley’s hits. In this 1989 performance, Mars displayed an effortless stage presence and an impressive voice for his age. Some people are simply born to shine.
Mars had the entire audience captivated, while his fellow performers beamed with joy as he commanded the stage. He even nailed some of Presley’s iconic moves, drawing excited reactions from those around him. The young star kicked off his performance with “Blue Suede Shoes” and “Hound Dog” before diving into “All Shook Up.” Here at The Music Man, we’ve always been fans of Mars, but after witnessing this adorable Elvis tribute, we love him even more!
Impersonating Elvis became a signature move for young Mars, and there are plenty of performances showcasing him belting out The King of Rock and Roll’s greatest hits. Fans couldn’t get enough of his early performances, leaving comments like, “That cute, amazing, talented kid grew up to be one of the best singers of our time” and “He started out doing Elvis, learned from the best, and now he’s a superstar himself!”
The most popular video of Mars impersonating Elvis comes from his role in the 1992 comedy romance film Honeymoon in Vegas. In this memorable scene, Mars performs “Can’t Help Falling in Love With You” while donning a blue jumpsuit. Born on October 8, 1985, Mars was just six years old when he filmed the scene. The Hawaiian star, whose real name is Peter Gene Hernandez, was credited as Bruno Hernandez in the film. He earned the nickname “Bruno” at just two years old, thanks to his striking resemblance to wrestler Bruno Sammartino.
Readers of The Music Man might be surprised to learn that Mars started his career as an Elvis impersonator at just three years old, inspired by his uncle, who was also an Elvis tribute artist. Growing up in a musical household, Mars was surrounded by talent—his father, Peter Hernandez, was a Latin percussionist, and his mother, Bernadette San Pedro Bayot, was a hula dancer and singer. The first video in this article features his family band, The Love Notes, with both his mother and father performing onstage alongside him.
