Richard Clayderman

Chances are you've heard a Richard Clayderman recording without even realizing it. The "most successful pianist in the world," according to Guinness World Records, has sold a gazillion records since the late 1970s. His music is regularly piped into dentist offices, elevators, mental hospitals and shopping malls from Kalamazoo to Jakarta to Sao Paulo. To become a giant in the easy-listening industry was never his plan. In the swinging '60s, 12-year-old Clayderman (born Philippe Pages) was accepted to the Paris Conservatoire of Music. He blossomed into a more-than-promising pianist. But the financial hardships that often accompany a career in classical music never appealed to him. Plus, his father fell ill. To earn some much-needed dough, Clayderman eventually began playing recording sessions with a who's who of French pop music, including the great Johnny Hallyday. In 1976, he teamed up with producers Olivier Toussaint and Paul de Senneville to record a simple little tune that would change his life forever: "Ballade pour Adeline." The single sold more than 22 million copies around the planet. Clayderman never looked back, racking up 70 more platinum discs since.