Richard Clayderman

Personal Info

Known For Actor

Gender Male

Birthday 1953-12-28 (70 years old)

Place of Birth Paris, France

Richard Clayderman

Biography

Richard Clayderman (born Philippe Pagès, 28 December 1953 in Paris) is a French pianist who has released numerous albums including the compositions of Paul de Senneville, Olivier Toussaint and Marc Minier, instrumental renditions of popular music, rearrangements of movie soundtracks, ethnic music, and easy-listening arrangements of popular works of classical music. Clayderman learned piano from his father, an accordion teacher. At the age of twelve, he was accepted into the Conservatoire de Paris, where he won great acclaim in his later adolescent years. Financial difficulties, precipitated by his father's illness, forestalled a promising career as a classical pianist. In order to earn a living, he found work as a bank clerk and as an accompanist to contemporary bands. He accompanied French singers such as Johnny Hallyday, Thierry Le Luron, and Michel Sardou. In 1976, he was invited by Olivier Toussaint, a French record producer, and his partner Paul de Senneville, to record a gentle piano ballad. De Senneville had composed this ballad as a tribute to his baby daughter, Adeline. The 23-year-old Pagès was auditioned along with 20 other pianists and got the job. "He was an interesting musician with a soft touch and good technique", said Toussaint. "And he looked good, too." Pagès' name was changed to Richard Clayderman (he adopted his great-grandmother's last name to avoid mispronunciation of his real name outside France), and the single took off, selling 22 million copies in 38 countries. It was called "Ballade pour Adeline". Clayderman has recorded over 1,300 melodies and has created a new romantic style through a repertoire which combines his trademark originals with classics and pop standards. As of 2006, his record sales number at approximately 70 million, and has 267 gold and 70 platinum albums to his credit. He is popular in Asia and is noted by the Guinness Book of World Records as being "the most successful pianist in the world". Source: Article "Richard Clayderman" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Known For

Actor

2012
2006
Legends

as Self

2000
1998
1997
Leute heute

as Self

1991
DAS!

as Self

1990
Stars 90

as self

1988
1988
Flitterabend

as Self - Instrumentalist

1987
Téléthon

as Self

1987
1985
1982
1980
Show-Express

as Self

1979
Okay

as Self

1977
1977
Auf los geht's los

as Self - Guest

1975
Numéro un

as Self

1975
1974
1972
1971
Dalli Dalli

as Self

1964
1955
Was bin ich?

as self

Sound

1985
Omoide wo uru mise

as Original Music Composer

1984
The Star of Cottonland

as Theme Song Performance

1981
Cinq-Mars

as Musician