Bruno Mars Puts On Blistering Prince Tribute, Shreds Guitar Solo Like Nobody’s Business

Bruno Mars is known for his pop and R&B megahits, but what you might not know is that he can seriously throw down on guitar too. The Hawaiian hitmaker donned Prince’s Cloud guitar and took to the stage at the Grammy Awards to sing a blistering version of “Let’s Go Crazy” as part of a tribute to Prince. Of course, if you’re going to play the Purple One’s music, there’s going to be some fretboard pyrotechnics, and Mars definitely did not disappoint.

After laying down a funk rock groove for the main riff, Mars took the solo in the bridge and really shredded it. For someone mostly known as a vocalist, Mars has some serious guitar chops. He also did a stellar job on the vocals, delivering a tight and energetic performance. The hitmaker was also dressed very much for the part in a sequined purple suit, and you can tell from the passion he put into the show that he’s clearly a Prince megafan.

Mars’s take on “Let’s Go Crazy” was a hit online, attracting 13.4 million views on YouTube, which made it the most popular live cut of the song on the whole platform. The pop star gave the performance at the Grammy Awards on February 12, 2017, just under a year after Prince’s passing at age 57 on April 21, 2016. Morris Day and The Time also performed as part of the tribute, playing “Jungle Love” and “The Bird,” which are two songs the band co-wrote with Prince.

Fans online had plenty of love for Mars, adding comments such as “I don’t think any other performer could’ve done a better job at a Prince tribute. Bruno is very talented” and “I have always liked Bruno. But I had no idea he even played guitar, let alone shred like he did. He nailed the guitar solo. Prince would’ve been proud.” Mars isn’t the only big name who paid tribute to Prince in the wake of his passing, as Justin Timberlake played “I Would Die 4 U” at his Super Bowl LII halftime show.

Prince and The Revolution released “Let’s Go Crazy” on July 18, 1984, as the second single from his sixth studio album, Purple Rain. Prince is the sole credited songwriter, while production is credited to Prince and The Revolution.
“Let’s Go Crazy” is one of several classic songs from the album and was certified Gold in the US and Silver in the UK. It has also gone on to be one of Prince’s most enduring songs and is currently his sixth most streamed song on Spotify, with 118 million streams.

Bruno Mars is known for his pop and R&B megahits, but what you might not know is that he can seriously throw down on guitar too. The Hawaiian hitmaker donned Prince’s Cloud guitar and took to the stage at the Grammy Awards to sing a blistering version of “Let’s Go Crazy” as part of a tribute to Prince. Of course, if you’re going to play the Purple One’s music, there’s going to be some fretboard pyrotechnics, and Mars definitely did not disappoint.

After laying down a funk rock groove for the main riff, Mars took the solo in the bridge and really shredded it. For someone mostly known as a vocalist, Mars has some serious guitar chops. He also did a stellar job on the vocals, delivering a tight and energetic performance. The hitmaker was also dressed very much for the part in a sequined purple suit, and you can tell from the passion he put into the show that he’s clearly a Prince megafan.

Mars’s take on “Let’s Go Crazy” was a hit online, attracting 13.4 million views on YouTube, which made it the most popular live cut of the song on the whole platform. The pop star gave the performance at the Grammy Awards on February 12, 2017, just under a year after Prince’s passing at age 57 on April 21, 2016. Morris Day and The Time also performed as part of the tribute, playing “Jungle Love” and “The Bird”, which are two songs the band co-wrote with Prince. If you would like to hear more from this talented guitarist you can subscribe to his YouTube Channel or connect on Facebook.

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