BRUNO MARS

You know, when Michael Jackson does the moonwalk, he's showing off! When Prince or Hendrix do a guitar solo, it's confidence! I would hate to be at a show and some nervous wreck is sweating up there and doesn't feel like he deserves to be there.

I love that I can talk to my fans through Twitter, to cut out the middle man. Because I've done interviews where my words have gotten twisted, so it's nice to be able to have things coming straight from me.

I just know that I'm a fan of all different kinds of genres. You're supposed to be free doing music, and that's how I feel.

I love the Sex Pistols. I'm a big Beach Boys fan and a huge Zeppelin and Queen fan.

There's always a bittersweet kind of thing, but I feel like everything had to work out the way it is. Everything that had to happen, happened.

A grown man should always carry cash, right? I don't know who told me, but someone told me that a long time ago, and the biggest turnoff is when a guy doesn't have cash on him.

I'm a big fan of songs like Joe Cocker's 'You Are So Beautiful' and Eric Clapton's 'Wonderful Tonight' - songs that go straight to the point.

My mother is a singer, my sisters all sing, my uncles are incredible singers and guitar players, so it's just kind of been like my habitat.

'Doo-wop' is a very special word for me. Because I grew up listening to my dad who, as a Fifties rock & roll head, loved doo-wop music.

Don't you love it that Prince doesn't use Twitter? Don't you think he's somewhere on a unicorn?

In pop music, the public usually see the results - the hit records, the Grammy Awards performances, the concert tours - but not all the work that goes into getting into the spotlight. And not everyone realizes that, even if you have a lot of talent, chances are you won't make it.

I think that success is having fun.

I grew up listening to the Police, I grew up performing in bars, singing Police songs.

I don't try and be dark, but there are obviously darker emotions that I want to capture sometimes.

Today, I'd like to talk to Bob Marley. I'd just like to ask him what was his method. Bob is one of the greatest songwriters ever. I don't know if people understand how powerful his songs are and the simplicity and genius behind them, from 'Redemption Song' to 'Is This Love?' and 'I Shot the Sheriff.'

I don't like two stories. I like one story. I never grew up with stairs. I like to stick to what I know.

I can't even speak Hawaiian, but if you go there and listen to a Hawaiian song, you get captured because it's so beautiful, like the melody is just gorgeous and you know Bob Marley is on the radio every single day. It's very reggae-influenced down there. Basically, you haven't been to paradise if you haven't been to Hawaii.

I could sing you a thousand and one doo-wop songs. I love the simplicity in that music. It's not super-poetic, it's just from the heart.

I've learned people are watching, so don't do nothing stupid.

I don't throw lavish parties or nothing like that - I just want a bed and a TV.

I wish I could tell you me and my rock band were traveling around, strung out. No, we were a family band. Straight Partridge Family.

Ever since I was a kid, this was all I wanted to do. I've wanted to do music. I wanted to sing. It's all I know.

I feel, as a songwriter, it's one of the hardest things to do - to sit down and say how you feel.

I'm the Nickelodeon version of DangerMouse.

I don't ever want to come out with something safe and get away with, 'It sounds good!' It's got to be more than sounding good. The music I like are events.