gone was his given name of peter hernandez. branding himself bruno mars instead. bruno, his childhood nickname, the name stuck. but the record contract didn't. motown dropped him. >> i don't blame motown. it was simply, wasn't ready yet. i think everybody don't know what color i am. it's like, he is not black enough. he's not white enough. he's got a latin last name. he doesn't speak spanish. who are we selling this to? are you making urban music? are you making pop music? what kind of music are you making? >> reporter: with no hit songs of his own and dead broke, he started over. ? i got nothing on you ? >> writing and producing songs for other artists with arie levine and phillip lawrence. they were starving musicians, inspired by the hustle to pay for food. they came up with this song. ? i want to be a billionaire so frickin 'bad ? >> it led to another record deal of his own. ? there's not a thing that ? >> reporter: his career as a songwriter and performer was finally on track. >> just the way you are. about that time thoug

he was born peter hernandez. to a puerto rican father and filipino mother.al musicians. performing together in the tourist show rooms of the hawaiian beach. their act was called the lovenotes. >> bruno, you rad to rock 'n' roll? >> when bruno was 4 years old his parents included him in the family business. ♪ he played little elvis. it's when heap first learned he could steal the show. ♪ ain't no friend of mine >> the little elvis routine lasted sick years. but the lessons of his parents vegas style, entertainment review, have lasted a lifetime. >> you know it's like school of rock for me. and it was just -- this kind of razzle-dazzle lifestyle. >> that's real show business. >> show business, right. if he wasn't hitting the notes and the audience wasn't freaking out. then you weren't doing it right. >> by the time he turned 12, his parents divorced. and the family band broke up. money was tight. his four sisters moved in with his mom. he and his brother lived with his dad. >> on top of this building? >> on top of this building. >> anywhere they could. >> my d

gone was his given name of peter hernandez, branding himself bruno mars instead. "bruno," his childhood nickname, "mars," shooting for the stars. the name stuck, but the record contract didn't. motown dropped him. >> mars: i don't blame motown. i don't-- i-- i was sim-- it's simply, i wasn't ready yet. i think everybody don't know what color i am. it's like, he's not black enough, he's not white enough. he's got a latin last name but he doesn't have-- he doesn't speak spanish. who are we selling this to? "are you making urban music? are you making pop music? what kind of music are you making?" >> logan: with no hit songs of his own and dead broke, he started over, writing and producing songs for other artists, with friends ari levine and philip lawrence. they were starving musicians. inspired by the hustle just to pay for food, they came up with it led to another record deal of his own. ( ? "just the way you are." ? ) his career as a songwriter and performer was finally on track. ( ? "just the way you are." ? ) about that time though, he was arrested for possessio

he was born peter hernandez, to a puerto rican father and philippino mother: parents who were professional musicians, performing together in the tourist showrooms of waikiki beach. their act was called the "love notes," and when bruno was four years old, his parents included him in the family busine. ( ? "blue suede shoes" ? ) he played "little elvis" and it's when he first learned he could steal the show. ( ? "hound dog" ? ) the "little elvis" routine lasted six years, but the sson]of hists' vega style waikiki entertainment revue, have lasted a lifetime. >> mars: you know, it was, like, "school of rock" for me. and it was just-- this kind of razzle-dazzle lifestyle. >> mars: yeah, show business. you know? >> logan: right? >> mars: and if you wasn't hitting those notes and the audience wasn't-- freakin' out, then you weren't doing it right. >> logan: by the time he turned 12, his parents divorced and the family band broke up. money was tight. his four sisters moved in with his mom. he and his brother lived with his dad-- on top of this building? >> mars: on top of this building. >> logan:

he was born peter hernandez, to a puerto rican father and philippino mother: parents who were professional musicians, performing together in the tourist showrooms of waikiki beach. notes," and when bruno was four years old, his parents included him in the family business. ( ? "blue suede shoes" ? ) he played "little elvis" and it's when he first learned he could steal the show. ( ? "hound dog" ? ) the "little elvis" routine lasted six years, but the lessons of his parents' vegas-

peters from stockton. they've been charged with murder and robbery. >>> he's charged with 90 counts of molestation. former teacher and camp leader began with a painting a picture of a sexual predator. jodi hernandez in martinez with the story. >> everybody interested he was there to teach, enable, to uplift the students. >> reporter: but they say former richmond teacher and camp leader repeatedly broke the trust of the boys he pledged to teach and mentor in the worst possible way. he is accused of molesting 15 middle school-aged boys under his care. >> i feel bad for these 15 young people that are here now having to deal with this monster. >> reporter: in opening statements, the prosecutor told the jury about how he taught at making waves academy in richmond and routinely took boys on camping trips.frequently made boys sleep in his tent where he made them watch pornography and molested them. they often pulled down their pants in front of one another, instructing whatever happens at camp epic stays at camp epic. and they're calling him a target, a false rumor who did nothing more than engage in locker-room type pranks. a former contra costra county schoolboard members doesn't buy it. >> we can't j