Bruno Mars would trade his music success for the return of his mum, who died after suffering a brain aneurysm in June, 2013.
The Gorilla singer tells the new issue of Latina magazine he still hasn't got over his mother Bernadette San Pedro Bayot's sudden death, and if he could bring her back he would do anything.
"My life has changed," he tells the publication. "She’s more than my music. If I could trade music to have her back, I would."
But she's never far away from his thoughts and he admits he still hears her voice in his head: "I always hear her say, 'Keep going and keep doing it'."
Bayot, 55, passed away while Mars was rehearsing for a world tour that began three weeks after her death.
Bruno broke his silence following the tragedy by thanking fans for their support.
He tweeted: "So thankful for all the love during the most difficult time in my life. Ill (sic) be back on my feet again soon. Thats (sic) what mom wants, she told me."
Bruno has also fired back at critics accusing him of changing his name to hide his Latino roots. The singer, whose birth name is Peter Gene Bayot Hernandez, insists he's a proud Puerto Rican and his stage name is nothing more than a larger-than-life moniker he uses professionally.
"I never once said I changed my last name to hide the fact that I’m Puerto Rican," the Grenade singer tells the magazine. "Why would I f**king say that? Who are you fooling? And why would anyone say that? That’s so insulting to me, to my family. That’s ridiculous.
"My last name is Hernandez. My father's name is Pedrito Hernandez, and he’s a Puerto Rican pimp. There’s no denying that. My dad nicknamed me Bruno since I was two years old."
