CHICAGO — Grammy Award winning musician Bruno Mars is making history as only the 10th man to grace the cover of Playboy magazine.
Mars, decked out in a classic Armani suit is featured along with April Playmate Raquel Pomplun on the front piece of the annual Sex and Music issue due to hit newsstands March 16.
The singer also appears in a fashion pictorial and interview on the inside pages sporting clothing by designers Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabbana and more.
“Growing up in the showbiz world, I looked up to those guys: Frank Sinatra and of course Elvis Presley. My dad was into the 1950s doo-wop era. If you look at those groups, or at James Brown, Jackie Wilson and the Temptations in the 1960s, you’ll see you had to be sharp onstage,” Mars told the Hollywood Reporter.
Mars said given the opportunity, he would choose Jimi Hendrix as the musician he’d most want to work with over Sinatra or Presley.
“I think he’s the greatest guitar player in the world, and I would want to see him do his thing in person,” Mars said. “He’s the reason I picked up a guitar in the first place.”
Other men who’ve appeared on Playboy’s covers include Peter Sellers — the first male who landed the cover in April 1967 — Burt Reynolds (October 1979), Steve Martin (January 1980), Donald Trump (March 1990), Dan Aykroyd (August 1993), Jerry Seinfeld (October 1993), Leslie Nielson (February 1996), Gene Simmons (March 1999) and Seth Rogen (April 2009).
