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PEOPLE & ARTS Thursday 24 augusT 2017
Bruno Mars meets source of nickname: Bruno Sammartino

By JOE MANDAK
Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Bruno
Mars has met the man he’s
nicknamed after: former
pro wrestling champion
Bruno Sammartino.
The two met Tuesday night
when the pop singing sen-
sation’s 24K Magic World
Tour stopped in Pittsburgh.
Sammartino heard through
friends that Mars, born Pe-
ter Gene Hernandez,
was nicknamed “Bruno”
by his father because he
was a “chunky” baby. The
wrestling legend — now 81
— was about 275 pounds
in his prime and the favor-
ite wrestler of Mars’ father.
Sammartino told The Asso-
ciated Press on Wednes-
day that he didn’t know
much about Mars before
the meeting, but came
away “extremely im- This Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2017, photo provided by Shaun Hoffman, shows Bruno Mars, left, meeting retired professional wrestler Bruno
Sammartino, right, as Mars holds Sammartino’s world champion belt, coinciding with a concert as part of Mars’ 24K Magic World
pressed.” Tour in Pittsburgh.
“I hope he’s like that in ev- Associated Press
eryday life. pionship belt from what night in Pittsburgh I had the chunky little baby, so my career to check out clips of
He was the most humble, was then known as the honor of meeting him!” dad used to call me that him in YouTube.
nicest guy,” Sammartino World-Wide Wrestling Fed- Mars, 31, as a nickname,” Mars said. He told Sammartino that
said. “He couldn’t have eration. The group is now told the website RapUP in a “The Mars came up just be- he planned to chat with his
been more respectful.” known as World Wrestling May 2010 interview that his cause I felt like I didn’t have father about the meeting.
Sammartino jokingly gave Entertainment, or WWE. dad nicknamed him for the no pizzazz, and a lot of girls “He told me,
Mars a picture of himself Mars posted a picture of wrestler. say I’m out of this world, so ‘You know, I called my dad
in his wrestling “prime” to the meeting on Instagram “Bruno is after Bruno Sam- I was like ‘I guess I’m from and told him I was going to
prove he was more muscu- saying, “I was nicknamed martino, Mars.’” meet with you today and
lar than chunky, after this professional wres- who was this big fat wres- Sammartino said Mars got he was so excited,” Sam-
and a replica of his cham- tler Bruno Sammartino. To- tler. I guess I was this curious enough about his martino said.q

Taylor Swift ends intrigue, announces
new album in November

By LEANNE ITALIE sure: a black-and-white photo
Associated Press of herself — head and shoulders,
NEW YORK (AP) — Yes, Taylor in slouchy sweatshirt, hair swept
Swift fans, Wednesday was a back — against a backdrop of
lucky one for you. newsprint reading, simply, “Tay-
The pop star who whipped her lor Swift” over and over again.
army of Swifties into a frenzy with Swift, who is followed by millions
video snippets of slithery snake on Twitter, Instagram and Face-
parts on social media posted book, wiped her feeds clean
the title of her new album, “Rep- Friday and replaced the void
utation,” and announced online Monday with the first of three
it will be out Nov. 10. reptilian videos, each offer-
The first single, she said in a se- ing just a tad more of a snake,
ries of posts, will drop Thursday from tail to squirmy middle and
night. And she threw in the al- finally its beady red eyes and
bum’s cover art for good mea- ominous fangs lunging briefly
at the camera. The teasers put
fans on high alert, and the snake
This cover image released by Big imagery evoked snake emojis
Machine shows art for her upcom- used against her in various dis-
ing album, “reputation,” expected fests last year, including one with
Nov. 10. Kim Kardashian West after West
Associated Press
claimed Swift knew about hub-
by Kanye’s reference to Swift in
his song “Famous.” q