He was born Peter Gene Hernandez in Honolulu, Hawaii and is of Puerto Rican and Filipino descent. His nickname as a child was Bruno because his dad said he was a chubby kid and he reminded him of the wrestler Bruno Sammartino. He moved to L.A at the age of 17 in the hopes of pursuing a career in music and said that growing up in Hawaii had an impact on his musical career and his life, stating that he was 'surrounded by music' so it's only natural he was going to end a singer/songwriter.
