RichardClayderman'sbiography 　　RichardClaydermanhasdonewhatvirtuallynootherFrenchacthaseverdone.establishedatrulyinternationalcareerasabestsellingrecordingartistandconcertperformer. 　　BornPhilippePagèsonDecember28th,1953,heencounteredthepianoearlyinhislife.Hisfather,apianoteacher,laidthefoundationforhisson'slatersuccessandbeganteachinghimhowtoplayataveryyoungage.Itissaidthat,attheageofsix,RichardClaydermancouldreadmusicmoreadeptlythanhisnativeFrench. 　　Earlysuccess 　　WhenhewastwelveyearsoldhewasacceptedattheConservatoireofMusicwhere,atsixteen,hewonfirstprize.Hewaspredictedapromisingcareerasaclassicalpianist.However,shortlyafterthis,andmuchtoeveryone'ssurprise,hecastasidehisclassicaltrainingandturnedtocontemporarymusic. 　　"Iwantedtodosomethingdifferent",Claydermansays,"So,withsomefriends,Icreatedarockgroup;itwasatoughtime.ahardtine.andthelittlemoneywecouldmakewasdevotedtobuyingequipment.Infact,Iusedtofeedmyselfsobadly-mainlyonsandwiches-thatIhadtohaveanoperationforanulcerwhenIwasonlyseventeen". 　　Accompanist 　　Atthattimehisfatherwasbecomingseriouslyillandwasunabletosupporthissonfinancially.So,inordertoearnaliving,Claydermanfoundworkasanaccompanistandsessionmusician. 　　"Ienjoyedit",hesays,"anditpaidwellatthesametime.ThatishowIdrewawayfromclassicalmusic,althoughitgavemeastrongbasisforwhatIdonow". 　　HistalentdidnotgounnoticedandhesoonbecamemuchindemandasanaccompanisttosuchmajorFrenchstarsasMichelSardou,ThierryLeLuronandJohnnyHalliday.But,whenaskedabouthisambitionsatthattime,hesays,"!reallydidnotwanttobeastar,Iwashappytobeanaccompanistandtoplayingroups". 　　Delphine 　　Nevertheless,hislifechangeddramaticallyin1976whenhereceivedatelephonecallfromOlivierToussaint,awell-knownFrenchrecordproducer,who,withhispartner,PauldeSenneville,waslookingforapianisttorecordagentlepianoballad.Paulhadcomposedthisballadasatributetohisnewborndaughter“Adeline”.The23yearoldPhilippePagèswasauditionedalongwith20otherhopefulsand,tohisamazement,hegotthejob. 　　"Welikedhimimmediately",saysPauldeSenneville,"HisveryspecialandsofttouchonthekeyboardscombinedwithhisreservedpersonalityandgoodlooksverymuchimpressedOlivierToussaintandI.Wemadeourdecisionveryquickly". 　　BalladepourAdeline 　　PhilippePagès'namewaschangedtoRichardClayderman(headoptedhisgreat-grandmother'slastnametoavoidmispronunciationofhisrealnameoutsideFrance),andthesingletookoff,sellinganastonishing22millioncopiesin38countries.Itwascalled"BalladepourAdeline". 　　"WhenIsignedhim",saysOlivierToussaint,"Itoldhimthatifwesell10,000singlesitwillbemarvellous,becauseitwasdiscoatthattimeandwecouldnotbetonsuchaballadbeingawinner.Wecouldnotimaginethatitwouldbesobig". 　　Prolificartist 　　Itwasthestartofwhathasbecomeanoutstandingsuccessstory,andsincethattime,RichardClayderman'sdistinctivepianostylehasearnedhimsuperstarstatusallovertheworld.Todayhehasrecordedover1,000melodiesand,inthewordsofaGermanjournalist,"hehasargu