Born Philippe Pages, on December 28, 1953, Richard encountered the piano early in his life. His father, a piano teacher, laid the foundation for his son's later success and began teaching him how to play at a very young age. It is said that, at the age of six, Richard Clayderman could read music more adeptly than his native French.

When he was twelve years old he was accepted at the Conservator of Music where, at sixteen, he won first prize. He was predicted a promising career as a classical pianist. However, shortly after this and much to everyone's surprise, he cast aside his classical training and turned to contemporary music.

"I wanted to do something different", Clayderman says, "So, with some friends, I created a rock group, it was a tough time . . . a hard time . . . . and the little money we could make was devoted to buying equipment. In fact, I used to feed myself so badly, mainly on sandwiches, that I had to have an operation for an ulcer when I was only seventeen".

At that time his father was becoming seriously ill and was unable to support his son financially. So, in order to earn a living, Clayderman found work as an accompanist and session musician.

"I enjoyed it", he says, "and it paid well at the same time. That is how I drew away from classical music, although it gave me a strong basis for what I do now".

His talent did not go unnoticed and he soon became much in demand, as an accompanist to such major French stars as Michel Sardou, Thierry LeLuron and Johnny Halliday. But, when asked about his ambitions at that time he says, "I really did not want to be a star, I was happy to be an accompanist and to play in a group."

Nevertheless, his life changed dramatically in 1976 when he received a telephone call from Olivier Toussaint, a well-known French record producer, who, with his partner, Paul de Senneville, was looking for a pianist to record a gentle piano ballad. The 23 years old, Philippe Pages was auditioned along with 20 other hopefuls and to his amazement, he got the job.

"We liked him immediately", says Paul de Senneville, "His very special soft touch on the keyboards combined with his reserved personality and good looks very much impressed both Olivier Toussaint and I. We made our decision very quickly."

Philippe Pages name was then changed to Richard Clayderman (he adopted his great-grandmothers last name to avoid mispronunciation of his real name outside of France. Richard’s first single then took off, selling an astonishing 22 million copies in 38 countries, it was called "Ballade pour Adeline."

"When I signed him", says Olivier Toussaint, "I told him that if we sell 10,000 singles it would be marvelous because disco was in at that time and we could not bet on a ballad such as Richard’s being a winner. But then the single made a big hit in Spain. Germany soon followed, then France, South America, Japan, Australia and Great Britain. . . . We could not imagine that the single would be so big."

It was the start of what has become an outstanding success story and since that time, Richard Clayderman’s distinctive piano style has earned him superstar status the world over. To date, he has recorded close to 800 melodies and, in the words of a German journalist, "he has arguably done more to popularize the piano around the world than anyone since Beethoven". He has created a "new romantic" style, through a repertoire which combines his 'trademark’ originals, with classics and pop standards and has clocked up massive worldwide record sales in excess of 65 million with, at last count, an incredible 263 Gold and 63 Platinum discs to his credit.

However, "The Prince of Romance" (as Nancy Reagan dubbed him) is not simply a recording Artist. In fact, despite his natural shyness and reserve, he is completely in his element on stage; a Richard Clayderman concert is a real 'Spectacular'.

"I love performing "live on stage"," Richard says, "because I have direct contact with my audience. In concert, with the accompaniment of my 10 musicians or a symphony orchestra, I like to mix different tempos, rhythms and styles to evoke all kinds of emotion."

Clayderman’s international success has resulted in a punishing itinerary which, in the past, has seen him play as many as 200 concerts in just 250 days, outside of his home in France. In spite of this, he remains very much a home living man.

"My family is extremely important to me," he often says, "my mother, my wife Christine, my daughter, Maud, and my son, Peter . . . they are what keep me going, they are my reason for living, apart from my music, of course."