The April issue of Playboy hits newsstands March 16, and for only the 10th time in the magazine’s 58-year history, someone with a Y chromosome is the cover star.
Retro-soul star Bruno Mars will lead the annual “Sex and Music” issue, posing alongside the month’s centerfold model, Raquel Pomplun. In addition to a Q-and-A, the 13-time Grammy nominee with the pompadoured hair is also the focus of a tropical spring fashion shoot by photographer Tony Kelly.
The question is: Who are the nine other playboys-to-men who have graced the cover of Hugh Hefner’s flagship publication?
Mars is the first gent in three years, following in the footsteps of a certain comedic actor. Before that, it had been a full decade since any men had appeared under the Playboy masthead — and that was the only other time a musical star (a rather elaborate rocker) was the choice.
Click on the new cover to find out who else has fleshed out this particular male fantasy. Or click below for a few excerpts from Playboy’s chat with Mr. “Grenade.”
On the musicians he has admired: “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.”
On the musician he’d most want to work with: “Jimi Hendrix. I think he’s the greatest guitar player in the world, and I would want to see him do his thing in person. He’s the reason I picked up a guitar in the first place.”
On his music: “My album is called Doo-Wops & Hooligans, but it’s not a 1950s ‘Earth Angel’ sound like you hear in Grease-type movies. I could sing you 1,001 doo-wop songs. I love the simplicity in that music. It’s not super-poetic, it’s just from the heart.”
More musings:
.
Slideshow: Bruno Mars scores next Playboy cover is a post from: Soundcheck
