(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Bruno Mars says he admires Elvis Presley because he was a showman.

The 25-year-old Hawaiian singer-songwriter shot to international fame with his debut studio album Doo-Wops & Hooligans last year.

The charismatic star has since enjoyed a successful musical career, winning Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for Just the Way You Are at the 53rd Grammy Awards.

Bruno says he admires the performances of Elvis because he knew how to excite an audience.

The reason why I like Elvis is the same reason why I like Michael. And the same reason I like James Brown. And Little Richard. Showmen. No tricks, he told Vibe magazine. No background tracks. Just a band and the artist. Im a fan of the young Elvis - how he freaked out white America by doing this black rock n roll. He would go onstage shaking his hips, and people were freaking out saying, You cant film him from the waist down. To me thats f**king awesome.

The talented star has revealed he respects Elvis for captivating audiences with songs. Bruno has revealed that the legendary singer had the ability to push boundaries and achieve things that no-one else was capable of.

He would do Little Richard songs. He would do blues songs that black artists wrote. But he would show them to an audience that would never listen to em. And you know, the dude was a star, he gushed. He would dress different. He would dance. There was nothing like that at the time. (C) Cover Media